Jaq the Jedi Hunter
by Visasmasterjedi
Summary: Atton Rand isn't your typical smuggler, he's terrible. He's clumsy and hopeless but has big dreams. What happens however when his dreams are overheard and granted by the most feared Sith Lord of the galaxy, Dark Lord Revan. Atton is recruited into a Jedi Hunting guild and trained to use the dark side to kill. Caution: Dark Themes
1. Prologue- I am Atton

**Jaq the Jedi Hunter**

Atton Rand...

Atton Rand, the more I say it the weirder it sounds. Its my name though, why should it be weird? Why should anything I own be weird? It's mine, my name, my past. Well let me tell you something 'missy', that's all a bunch of lies, every last bit of it! But you probably don't understand what I mean. No one does, not because what I'm saying genuinely does not make sense, but more...they, and you, don't know me. You may think you know me, even she thought she had me all figured out. Heck, I didn't even know me back then! But she...she does now. _She _does. Meetra Surik, the woman of my dreams. But this isn't about her.

The last few weeks have been kind, I arrived on Nar Shadaa expecting trouble. Only, for the first time since leaving Correlia I felt free, at home, at peace. When people ask, "Whose that sexy, smug, son of a Bith standing over there at the bar?" people who claim they know me would say, "That's Atton Rand, the dashing, young and beautiful Smuggler and he's at home in that stink of a home they call Nar Shadaa."

But _she _knows me. Meetra Surik would turn around and say, "No, you're wrong. He's Jaq, the Jedi Hunter who served and tortured the innocencts of the Galaxy...who lived on Alderaan...and is good at Pazaak...and has good smelling hair." But would she even go that far? She's kind to me and promised never to tell a soul what I had done in my past life. I love her, and she...I hope she never finds out. She can't, "she's got too much in her glass", as Mira would say. She taught me how to be a Jedi for Kath's sake!

The only other person who knows is that witch, Kreia. She's just a...just a...well, a witch. She's known my little secret ever since Telos! When that other Jedi captured us I let my guard down and made her aware I feared Jedi. Then I let my guard down again and she tore right into my skull and saw all my secrets. She called me a murderer, a Jedi killer. What was worse was that she was right. I can just feel her, watching me. She watches me all the time…through the walls…through the Force. She's sitting there in the Port Quarters, meditating, thinking of my past and how much she despises me. I know, I can feel it, and she's letting me know it too. But I know she's playing us, playing us all. I can't wait until we arrive on Korriban and I can get away from her and her mind games.

Meetra only found out much later, not long ago in fact. We were on Nar Shadaa when she approached me claiming some refugee Twi'leks had come up to her saying not to trust me. It was the first time I lost my cool with her. I broke out in anger, I wanted to strangle those two scum who told her. Naturally, I had to tell Meetra everything. And so I did. She kept calm and collective, in return for me speaking she granted me a gift, redemption, and thus my Jedi training began.

I was a boy, a boy with dreams - back then on Alderaan. I wasn't much younger than I am now; but wow, I was dumber. I had planned to fly to Nar Shadaa and become a Smuggler. Did I want to become a Smuggler? Sure I could, but did I really, really want to? No, no one ever did, it's horrible and meaningless with very little pay unless you know what you're doing. Like living in the Refugee Sectors on Nar Shdadaa, which by the way I ended up visiting once or twice more in my…uh…adventures.

When I was old enough I bought my first shuttle, I wouldn't have been able smuggle much on a shuttle but there were no freighters to buy on Alderaan - at least not where I was looking. My plan was to fly this top of the range shuttle to Sleheyron and buy a new ship with credits I would gain from selling this silver beauty but as I soon found out no Hutt was going to sell a freighter (no matter how run-down) to a kid who looked almost as though he'd stolen this brand new shuttle from a wealthy politic or whatever. Hutts - pathetic slugs who hide behind false power and lies in order to intimidate others. Stare one down enough and they may just crack, they may be the ones feeling weak and intimidated. And then there the Gammoreans, but don't get me started on them. Green pig people, they were too stupid to understand? Or maybe they were the smartest beings in the Galaxy but kept their true intelligence in secret so they may one day rule over all… Then again, it was only last year I saw three Gammoreans fight over a piece of Boma meat.

Regardless, my journey took me to Nal Hutta. Sure it was the Hutt home world, after the gas world of Varl, but hey, if there were so many Hutts on Nal Hutta the slimy space slugs would'nt have needed to intimidate other petty criminals. So the way I saw it, they were bound to be kind and make me an offer. But again, I was wrong. Atton, Atton, Atton, you crazy juvenile. If you asked me, "Atton my strapping young friend, what was Varl?" I would say...well...well I'd look you in the eye and call you an idiot for not knowing. Everyone knows the story of Varl! Varl is a Hutt, no, Nal Hutta is a Hutt - yellow gas flows through the atmosphere and the inhabitants are warned to wear breathing apparatus'. Nal Hutta is as slimy as the Hutts I would say, I still say it in fact. If Nal Hutta is a Hutt then Varl is Hutt excrement. It is dead, so smelly its past funny, its atmosphere has completely degraded (along with its flora and fauna). Nal Hutta is much better, but still the worst livable planet out there.

Nal Hutta was far more overridden with Hutts sure but it was also overridden with every scum and bounty hunter the galaxy feared and looked up to. If you did so much as swear in the presence of an overly pretentious slug, you'd have your head marked for a bounty. And with the Hutts here, it's probably better for you if your bounty was collected with you dead rather than alive. I approached one Gherlga the Hutt who almost straight away refused me his freighter. So naturally, I sold my shuttle and "swapped" it for the freighter. As I took off I chuckled. The Hutt said I would never fly his ship as love as I lived. And funnily enough the Hutt never went searching for me, they found me many years later, but completely by accident. I, that day, had smuggled my first item. A ship, my ship, the Violet Horizon.


	2. Chapter 1- Nar Shadaa

**Chapter 1-** **Nar Shadaa**

I served in the war, you see, the Mandalorian Wars. I witnessed like one or two really big battles maybe but never directly fought. I longed for it, I was good with a blaster. My grip would tighten around it and I would become one with it, unstoppable. I served on Dxun mostly, we always saw the battles. Well, okay, we always…glimpsed...battles. The Revanarchists, or "Sith" as we were told to call them were the ones fighting. They were led to victory by the strongest Sith of them all, he was Darth Revan. He was saving the galaxy and preventing the slaughter of innocence, he was a hero, how dark could the man be?

Single handedly he killed Mandalore the Ultimate over Malachor V, where Meetra served, he brought peace and ended the greatest war that had befell upon the Galaxy. He was a hero, my Hero. I nor any other sentient being on this side of Muunilist could comprehend why Revan was marked a traitor by the Jedi Council and the GalacticRepublic. I left the Republic eager the join him, but I knew it was going to be impossible to find him let alone fight for him. So I flew to Alderaan, found my shuttle and flew to Sleheyron. I was a stealth specialist with an interest for engineering and mechanics. Using the mechanical skills I acquired while serving in the wars I was able to hack into ship's navicomputers and fly me a course straight to Nar Shadaa without a single spot of trouble.

I landed in the Refugee Sector because I had heard a Quarren working for the Exchange needed a Smuggler - this was my calling. He was located in the offices right above the refugee smuggling rink. Naturally before going to meet him I headed for the Pazaak Den, really I just needed a drink but if you got a super power why not use it? Mine was Pazaak, I never lost...except for the first four games I played upon arrival. I'd bribed the den's guard to let me in, and then I was away. Pazaak was the only thing that felt more natural than the two blasters that I held in my holsters. I counted cards, not illegal in Nar Shadaa…as long as you don't get caught.

Soon I made my way to my fourth table, a young pale grey Twi'lek girl sat and was just finishing up on her last game when I approached. She looked at me for a second, intrigued. Her interest in me made me think of her as Exchange – they would come after me and beat me to death two rounds after playing with her. This girl intrigued me too. She was undefeated. She was perfect. She was a beauty. Part of my retirement goal included me having a young Twi'lek wife, I didn't love her, no, but love isn't something that just comes. Love is forged. My opening line was...uh, embarrassing, so, so embarrassing I forgot it- or repressed it. It was something about playing Nar Shadaa rules, but I have a feeling for our first date she would want our clothes to remain on. My ribbed jacket was going to be staying on my back.

I played with her for hours. She took her first loss of the night to me, but for every one that I lost she obviously would win. I counted cards, she counted cards - this made game all the more exciting. Then I remembered the Exchange meeting and panicked, I had forgotten and missed it. I had heard rumors, Quarrens got grumpy if they were kept waiting. I was dead, even more dead if I actually turned up. It would've been better to keep playing Pazaak. That way I could at least gain some credits and bribe any Exchange mercenaries that came my way. Sweat broke out on my forehead, those boys would come and break my neck. My neck, the only neck I had- and I wasn't prepared to lose it.

"Running scared?" came a voice, the Twi'lek's voice. She knew, she knew I was in trouble with the Exchange. Maybe, maybe she was Exchange. She was probably holding a blaster under the table. My doom was coming, she was going to shoot me in the gut. A wrong move or reach for my blaster and my stomach would be spilling out over my knees. What a way to go, shot to death by the woman you were going to marry over a Pazaak table. "Well?" she said again, I realised I hadn't replied to her... 'previous enquiry'. "What? Sorry? Just thinking." I replied in Basic, I didn't know how to speak Twi'lek and she knew that surely - the least she could've done is speak Basic to me. "You look as though I've cornered you." Oh my god! She was going to murder me! "What ever do you mean?" I asked in hopes that she wouldn't think I was onto her. "Your end is coming." "..." Not only was I speechless, but my mind was dead. I was terrified, she had just admitted to my death. Then she raised her hand, her right hand. It came over the table. It was probably a blaster, she wanted me to see what killed me, more noble, more comforting. Then...she placed a card. She placed the winning card! Son of a Bith! She was such a Gran! That...that Kath Hound! A Duros played the game more noble then that! She…she bested me!

I gave her the credits and stood, walking away. She smiled, she liked me. But now I couldn't win her over with credits. I headed over to the bar in the corner of the room, I was tempted to go to the cantina under the impression that the drinks would be better there but I had a feeling I'd have to bribe the door guard again, and now I had no credits. I knew that members to the Pazaak Den got drinks for free. The bartender droid was recharging via Czerka input in the wall. There was a Devaronian bartender on duty. Upon getting there he opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted when the door burst open and five Trandoshan thugs ran in. Blood squelched under the feet so I assumed the door guard was dead now. Lucky me, wouldn't have to bribe him again. An old human looking out his window by the game table turned to face the thugs and then his face went pale. It felt like the color just left his face, converted to blood, and drained from what I expected would become a blast hole through his chest. Without a second's delay the front Trandoshan pulled out what appeared to be a Wookiee War Bowcaster and fired upon the man six times, he splattered against the glass behind him. The glass cracked but didn't shatter. The thugs walked out the way the came in, laughing to each other. And just like that it was done.

I guess I admired the thugs, a Bowcaster was the ultimate killing machine. But it made you less of a man to use a Wookiee weapon. The thugs were Exchange, without a doubt. But this wasn't there style, usually they extort before murdering. This was outrageous, but awesome. Was I really that sad that I found this murder amusing? I felt sorry for the poor guy, but this was war. This was the war of Nar Shadaa, the motto of the moon should be "Nar Shadaa, beautiful as long as you're on spices. Come at your own risk, because your life span here is halved." Okay, so that may not be a good motto, too big, but kind of effective…and truthful.

"So? Are you going to order something or just stand there and look pretty?" It was the Devaronian bartender. Like my Twi'lek Pazaak partner I'd forgotten he even existed. "Oh sorry, I'll take a pint of Juma Juice." I gave him a classic Atton one million credit smile. The man chuckled and leant over to the taps. He soon returned with the glass. "Here ya go. And I spiked it with some Kinrath poison seeing as you think of yourself as some sort of a hotshot heavy weight." It was by then I'd realised I'd already taken a gulp and suddenly I felt it coming back up, and out, all over the counter. Nice going there Rand. The Devaronian just stared. "That was a joke." He waited a few seconds and broke out into laughter before continuing to clean his glasses behind the counter. I proceeded to smack my head upon the counter thrice more before having another sip. I looked up, the Devaronian was wide-eyed and in shock. It was time to crack some wise, Atton style when I realised he was staring behind me at someone else. To confirm my suspicions I noticed no one in the room was talking, there was no music, no gulping of juices, and not a single slap of a card. It was the Exchange, it had to be, and they were looking for me. I dared not show my face, I looked down at the near empty glass but was distracted by the sound of heavy boots plummeting down on the floor. They were getting nearer.

A dark figure appear in the corner of my eye and pulled back a bar stool. He spoke soft yet with such intimidating words. He was comforting yet incredibly fearful. "What does a man have to do to get a drink around here? I'll take what he's having." He said to the bartender. That confirmed two things: he was a human male, that was detectable, and he was definitely talking about me. There was something else, his voice was muffled and he held a peculiar aroma. It was unlike most of the smells of Nar Shadaa. Instead of spices, tar and poverty this man smelled of smoke. He was a traveler, probably not with the Exchange then, but still not a friend. But heck, I wasn't gonna look at him. All I saw was the black. He was wearing something black. Then he spoke again.

"Heard you're looking for employment." I had to man up, I wasn't scared...okay I was, but I wasn't going to show it. "Yeah? Who'd ya hear it from?" He chuckled lightly as the bartender placed his glass on the counter. "Just because I hear it, doesn't mean I heard it from someone." What? What kind of an answer was that? This guy had been snorting too many red spices. He spoke again. "Now why did I order a drink? You know how hard it is to order a drink...no...you know how hard it is to drink a drink with a mask on?" Confused I decided the best course of action would be to reply honestly. "Well sir, can't say I do." "Sir? What's with all the formalities? I just wanted to offer you a job." I was interested, I looked up from my glass to the bartender's curious face. I think the man noticed I was interested too. I was careful not to look at the man sitting beside me, it showed weakness. "What do you think of the Revanarchists?" He asked. "Noble, while the Republic laid back and watched the war go on, the Revanarchists actually did well, and right, they saved a lot of lives." "So you'd say you don't agree with the Republic?" Careful Atton, this guy could be a Jedi, don't want to get in trouble now do you. I didn't answer. "I can hear it in your voice, you didn't lie to me just then. Truthful, I like that. You aren't half bad. Now, let's talk about getting you a job." He seemed kind. So I turned to him. The darkness I saw from the corner of my eye wasn't a false. He just wore a black hooded cloak robey thing that them Jedi wear. The hood swayed ever so slightly revealing his face, or what was concealing it. A red mask. Revan's mask.

That's why the bar had gone quiet.

Darth Revan.

Darth Revan was here.

Darth Revan was here on Nar Shadaa.

And he was here looking for me.

I nearly threw my drink up for the second time that night. He wanted me, to work for him. I was in no danger. "Alright, I'm your man." I slammed the glass onto the counter, not hard enough to smash it but just enough to scare the Gizka out of everyone there. The whole Den flinched with the smack on the bench. They were all jumpy, with a flick of his wrist all the people in this room could die an unimaginably painful death. "So kid, what's your name?" "Atton Rand, and what would you have me call you." The man in black chuckled. "...uh, please. Just Revan will do." He stood. "You wouldn't happen to know a way off this planet now would you Mr. Rand?" "We can take my ship, the Violet Horizon, fast freighter but weak if we're shot at." He headed out the front door and I followed. Out the front I noticed the dead door guard, but Revan didn't seem to notice...or maybe he just didn't care. This man was legend. In the cantina lobby were four Sith soldiers and a Sith officer. Revan spoke, "Officer Renly, contact first Admiral and tell him that we will be on our way in an unregistered space craft. Your orders are to stay here and wait for retrieval."

I led the Sith Lord out through the Refugee Sector and smiled as everyone who walked by wet their pants in horror. I led Revan to the Violet Horizon where we were 'greeted' by two thugs. One Aqualish and one Rodian. Man I hated Rodians. He spoke first "Are you Atton Rand?" I gave a glance to Revan and then back at the thugs. I smiled, and humorously said "Why yes I-" and with that I whipped out my dual blasters and sent the thugs all the way to Aargau. I could feel Revan's glance on me, he was humored and quite impressed.

Before either of us could say another word three more thugs came from the ramp of my ship. A Trandoshan amongst the lot stated "The Exchange wants you dead Atton." He pulled out one of them Exchange Negotiator electrical stun charge dagger things and waved it about threateningly. I pulled out my blasters, the same ones only seconds earlier I had holstered. But before I could fire upon them Revan smoked the lot with his Force Lightning. I was awestruck. Revan, he was legend. We headed up the ramp together and I showed him to the bridge. I was so excited, I was going on an adventure. Then a sudden realization hit me.

"Uh Revan?" "Yep." "Where are we going?" He punched in a few coordinates on my navicomputer. "To Malachor V." "Great! Where is that exactly?" "You'll see soon enough. Is there a spot I could meditate Atton?" "Yes, the starboard hold." I was really wondering something though so I prepared to stop him before he left, and I realised he hadn't even gone when he stated. "Something's troubling you." I was shocked, these Jedi mind powers were amazing. "Wait, you could tell I was troubled, just by using the Force?" He waited a second to think of an answer. "No. You scrunch your face up when you're thinking really hard." ... right ... now that was kinda hurtful. "Why me?" "I see potential in you, potential for things you can't even begin to imagine existed within you. One day you'll find out, and you'll fall in love, and you won't be able to handle it. Everyone deserves a second chance, and you will have yours." With that he walked off out of sight down the hall. What? That didn't even make sense!

I always wanted to be a Smuggler. When Revan offered me this 'opportunity' I just figured that smuggling would become like some retirement plan. You know, when I become old. Not that I'm ever going to be old, I'm living forever you see. I'd settle down with a nice (young) Twi'lek girl (who is also a dancer) (and knows how to play Pazaak well, but not too well, and can drink a lot)...and I guess we might have a kid...or two. Little Atton jr, or Attonette? ...I figured once I finished working for the Dark Lord of the Sith I could settle down and relax and think about my past as if it were a distant memory. ...but oh was I wrong, my time with Revan was a feared time, a time I could only wish to repress, it would be a memory from recent present and most certainly unforgettable. While they claimed I would become unreadable, they surely enough broke me. And I allowed it, not only did I allow it but I enjoyed it and embraced it and eventually used it to fuel an anger I never knew I had, an anger I would eventually suppress but never fully get rid of, an anger that rose up with the arrivals of the witch Kreia and her little puppet Mical. Charming little Mical. Charming and dead-to-me Mical. But my anger didn't come straight away... I'll get to that soon.


	3. Chapter 2- Malachor V

**Chapter 2- Malachor V**

When I tell this story, if I tell this story, I am probably gonna leave this bit out. Alright, so in short I may or may not have fallen asleep in the cockpit. I know, right. But in my defence, it was a really…good…dream. The Horizon was top of the line but was poorly manufactured. While it had a thick hull, broad build and superb engines the Violet Horizon's Hyperdrive needed to be manually disengaged. I was asleep, so I almost missed my cue. It was likely that if I didn't wake up, the lives of both the Dark Lord and myself would forever be lost. Even in death he'd find a way to kill me again, painfully. Of course there was always a chance (though I wouldn't be willing to try it), that due to the ship's speed, size, weight and trajectory that upon impact with Malachor V it may too have been destroyed along with us. Luckily, I woke up and exited Hyperspace just before we entered her atmosphere. I was lucky I didn't blow Malachor into space dust! Revan was my hero, my mentor too perhaps. But I feared the man just as much as the rest of the galaxy did.

We touched down and I found Revan already waiting by the ramp. He was eager to show me where we were, eager to lead. The atmosphere of Malachor V was foggy. The fog meant I couldn't see a damn thing from the cockpit. Malachor V, I hated it. Not straight away, but I did over time. And in the coming years that hate would drive me to what I was told would be greatness and strength and justice. They lied. It led to weakness and torture and corruption. Who knew the girl I would one day love, truly love, would destroy Malachor. She destroyed it all, my true place of birth. Of course we have nothing to do with that place now, but I'm sure the topic will come up again before this mission's over.

I'd shut the viewport so no one could see into my ship, but that meant I couldn't see out. Revan welcomed me to Malachor, my new home. She was a beaut. Malachor V contained Yavin's green forests, Alderaan's waterfalls, Corelia's comforting breeze, Ziost's large mountain ranges, Dagobah's thick cloud coverage, Peragus' abandoned touch and Courscant's exotic market smells. Revan assured me there were more Sith inside, as if to comfort me. And it took me quite a few minutes to realise that he meant that there more Sith other than me, not other than him. So, Atton Rand the Sith. I had a feeling that if I really was a Sith, I should've been on Korriban or something; no, Revan was planning something. He was planning something big. I wasn't going to be a soldier, something else.

He took charge and led me inside a large me crevice in the side of a mountain which incidentally led to a massive Sith Academy complex. Suddenly I was no longer intimidated, I was comforted, this really was my home. There we're plenty of Sith inside. Scores of them, and I was sure there were hundreds more deeper inside. All these men, they were all made up of super mega elite soldiers or important Sith Lord Instructors. This academy was no ordinary place.

"Welcome to the Trayus Academy." said Revan, "Ancient centerpiece of Knowledge." I was led up to steps where I joined forty other men. Revan left me there and stood a few more meters higher than the others atop the staircase. He addressed us.

"Welcome students to Trayus Academy. Here you shall train, you will become warriors and assassins who will lead the Sith to victory. Amongst you stand cut-throats, thieves, slaves and ordinary people. You are all equally given this opportunity. The Galaxy is a dark place. This world will become your home. There are no sides to this war, all are light, but we embrace the darkness in order to show the light. Your training will be harsh. Most of you won't survive. You who survive will be mine, you will work under me, me and only me. You will be trained in elite arts that will teach you too survive, you will be given special rights as Sith captains, captains who command no one but yourselves. You are weapons, you will be weapons, you will be Jedi Hunters."

He turned away and climbed the stairs into abysmal darkness. Suddenly I knew what to do, my orders were planted in my brain using the Force. It was dinner and we were to eat.


	4. Chapter 3- Trayus Academy

**Chapter 3- Trayus Academy**

I took a seat on one of the Okenwood tables in the Great Hall. The room was probably the largest room within the Academy and was filled to the brim with over a hundred other students. Would you call us students? I dunno, I guess we were students of Revan – students of the Dark Side. Anyway, I took a seat on a table with my tray of food. The food wasn't half bad, 'mushed Gizka' as they called it. I needed a few spices to make it taste spot on, but I wasn't to judge. Across from me and a little to the left was another boy about my age. He sat at my table and sipped from his bowl. I could also identify a small scar about the size of a thumb nail above his left eyebrow. He had blue eyes and black hair. And he was human, which was plain to see (unless he was a shape-shifter, which I found highly doubtful).

He looked like me. Then again, everyone looked me here. We all looked simple. Well, all but Jarzis. Jarzis, like most of the other students here were Human. Jarzis was big. And Jarzis was violent. And Jarzis liked to kill the other students for fun. That was until his first lesson when he got into a fight with his instructor and pinned the scrawny man against a wall. Revan arrived to break up the fight between the two but was faced with a decision on who to punish. With a tug Revan used the Force to remove Jarzis' spine from his body. We assumed the Dark Lord valued the instructor more; until he killed him too. It was an example that he was setting. I guessed the instructor was showing signs of weakness, so he was punished. None of these events had happened yet, after all it was only Day One.

The kid on my table was just too much like me. Maybe there was a pattern. Revan must have picked us for a reason, were we intelligent. Doubtful. Maybe it looked as though our minds were easy to tap into and forge in to whatever the Sith wanted us for. The kid had potential to be a real baddass. So I built my own back story for the kid. His name was Jon, he picked Cantina Fights on a regular basis. He keeps to himself unless provoked. He has no problem with the killing of innocence. His parents tried to kill him one day but Jon turned around and stabbed the two with a negotiator. As they bled he learned he had to be hard to survive. Living as a homeless man he eventually resorted to killing and eating a Rancor in order to prevent starvation. When the Rancor fought back, Jon had his eyebrow sliced open. That was Jon. Jon was a baddass.

Occasionally the boy across from me what look up and stare at me until I raised my head and he'd lower his. Eventually I gave up and openly said, "Mate. What it is up?" The boy was showed and panicked. "Uh, I'm sorry. You looked incredibly familiar." Now I was shocked. "Familiar? Like, who?" He thought for a moment. "Is your name Jaques?" Now I thought for a moment. Was my name Jaques? It wasn't when I last checked. "Not when I last checked. I'm Rand, Atton Rand." I put out a hand. He shook it. "I'm Drayven Khar." He seemed nice. I was interested about him though. I couldn't help but ask, "So, where'd you get that scar?" "What, this? Oh I just tripped on the way up the Academy stairs last month." I couldn't work out what was disappointing, the fact that he wasn't nearly as cool as I'd hoped, or that he had been here longer than me. "So, you've been here a month." "Yeah, but we haven't trained yet. Today was the last shipment and training starts tomorrow. It shouldn't be all tha-" He was interrupted by a loud crash. At the cafeteria line three boys stood. The leader of the posse, a blonde haired Alderaan boy threw the tray of food at the Academy Chef.

I distinctly remember Drayven and I looking down and trying not to draw attention to ourselves. Unfortunately the rest of the Great Hall were looking straight at him. So the bully headed this way. He was happy and greedy, he fed on the fears of the other students. We were all grown men yet somehow this reminded me of little smuggler school. It wasn't called that, but I remember smuggling in a lot of food items into the elementary black market. The bully neared. I heard his footsteps creeping up on me. I reminded me of my encounter with Revan the night before. Only, this kid wasn't scary rather than annoying.

"So, Kharr. Where's the spices?" He was provoking Drayven into a fight, I could smell it. "I didn't get any." "You what?" "I couldn't, how was I supposed leave the Academy?" "Find…a…way…now you're, uh, 'homework' is overdue and someone's gonna pay." I grinned, this kid was asking it. I must have chuckled because the next thing I knew was that I could feel his breath on the back of my neck. "Got something to say, pretty boy?" I stood and turned to him. Offended I said, "Pretty boy? The names Atton. But you can call me sexy pirate wizard 2000." "Hah!" He laughed…obviously. Because when Atton Rand makes a joke, everyone laughs. "The kid's a joker!" he continued. "I'm not just a joker. I am the Joker. You may also call me sexy, or pirate, or simply just you highness." The bully's grin disappeared. "Well you can call me, Garm." He put out a hand. So I went to shake it. Big mistake.

As I went for it he grabbed my wrist and pulled me towards him with his left hand. He then proceeded with a really heavy punch to the eye with his right fist. I fell onto the ground. Garm and his posse laughed and began to walk away, slapping Drayven on the back of the head as they passed him. I could tell Drayven was about to crack it and hit back, but before he could I flicked my leg and tripped Garm. He fell. And kissed the bench seat on his way down. Drayven helped me up but couldn't take his eyes off the unconscious body. There were a few drops of blood on the floor. I spat on him and left. Because when Atton Rand makes a joke, everyone laughs.

The night was a nice sleep. I had a bunk beside Drayven. The morning's breakfast consisted of…cooked 'mushed Gizka' which was a nice change. The first lesson of the day was theory and that took up most of the morning. The rest of the afternoon was combat training where we were ordered by our instructors to beat up a dummy. So far the training wasn't that brutal and I couldn't see how most wouldn't survive – excluding Jarzis, of course. None of the training exercises were strenuous. The most dangerous it had gotten was the beatings that we would receive if we didn't hit the dummy quick enough, the instructor would beat someone over the back of the head with a stun baton until they collapsed and then beat them until they were unconscious before being dragged along the rocky floor to the infirmary. It was announced that after lunch we would be marching through the Malachor V canyons to another Sith structure.

Come lunch, though, and I soon discovered that Drayven was still in class and that Garm had killed the medics and broken from the infirmary. I doubted he would be punished by death as the deed had already been done. I was eating my 'mushed Gizka' – I know right, again – and he broke into the Great Hall. He ran as fast as he could to my table. Without intentionally doing so I stood up to face him. It was too late to sit down so I held the angriest expression I could on my face. Boy, oh, boy was it a scary expression. It made Garm so uncomfortable he couldn't help but smile, probably do avoid me knowing how scared he was.

"Atton, you Firaxan little-" I interrupted him. "Woah boy! You might want to hold your tongue before you say something you regret." Atton, you charmer. Unfortunately it was made clear to me that Garm wasn't a fan of charmers. He pulled out a blaster rifle, who knew where he was keeping it holstered while he was threatening me. "You're going to pay, Rand." Desperately I began searching for an escape from this situation. I looked around the room but all I could find were faces staring at me in horror. "I…I'm not Atton." "What?!" "Your eyesight must be a little damaged, I'm not Atton. Atton, uh, left. He was too scared of you. I…my name is…uh…my name is, uh, Jaques. Yeah!" "What? Jaq?" "Yep, Jaq, that's what I meant."

Luckily my quick thinking bought me enough time to get rid of Garm. Garm genuinely believed me. I had used a mix of influence and what I would later learn as Force Persuade. I had potential. That was Revan's reason for recruiting me. But with this situation in the Great Hall. Jaq would become my nickname. I was Jaq, Jaq the Sith Coward. It became my title. I wore it like a badge I had ever only wanted to watch burn.

Following the little incident, the following class had me and sixteen other students (mostly female) march through the canyons to what appeared to be some sort of Arena which was said to house some kind of Storm Beast or whatever. We weren't allowed inside in case we were killed by the monster. This didn't seem too right considering instructors would begin killing students every lesson following today.

Anyway, tomorrow came quick. I spent my whole day in a small training facility to the East of the Academy Arena. Here my class was taught my Revan. That day was the first of the many brutal days. Our first task was to split off into pairs. I teamed myself up with a younger boy named Taj. We were told to place any weapons we owned onto the table to the left of the room. Then we were ordered to kill the other person. We figured there would be some kind of a twist. But there wasn't. We literally had to murder the other person in cold blood. I choked Taj, I didn't give me a second's chance of breath. I watched the color leave him. I knew I couldn't show mercy, another pair showed mercy and they were punished by Lord Revan with Force Lightning. He said that he could have used a Death Field on them, killing them and strengthening him; but he didn't want coward energy. I had to prove I was no coward. Atton Rand was no coward. I was no Jaq.

The boy died. His body was given no funeral but was thrown into the main Arena as food for the Storm Beast. This boy had a family, a little brother and older sister. He had a father who was in the Republic and a mother who'd run off with another man. These observations, this knowledge, it all scarred me. This was the first time I experienced death as more than a game. Death was a game – but not anymore. Death ensured the survival of another.

We were given two moments to catch our breath before the next training exercise. The class was now reduced to about seven or eight students. The next exercise would mark the beginning of my mission as a Jedi Hunter.

We would be taught the Enchanci military fighting style, how to kill a group of well trained soldiers from Onderon with only your pinky finger and a deck of Pazaak cards. After we would be taught how to truly be one with our mission. It was hard to comprehend, it's probably hard for you to get what I'm actually trying to say. I was going to destroy. No one would be able to stop me.

I was ready.

No I wasn't.

But, I did think I was ready.

It's what I told him, my master, so he wouldn't see me as a lesser.

So he wouldn't see me as a coward.

He lined us up one by one.

Instructors, one per student entered the room and stood one in front of each of us.

They were so close he could smell them.

We felt it in them.

They had all been touched by the Force. And now so would we.

We would face Chaos.

There was one instructor less than there was a student. Revan stood in for the man three positions to my right. Revan went first. He moved ever so slightly closer to the man and began using some kind of mind torture on him. The learner screamed in pain. His veins swelled up and pulsed across his now tightly stretching skin. Then he stopped.

The boy had stopped screaming. Just like that. I looked back at my instructor who had not taken his eyes off me. So I turned back towards the now quiet boy. He collapsed, head staring towards me. His eyes had turned black.

"He could not cope. Now, your turns." What had happened? What were the instructors going to do to me? I was going to die too. "Resist." With that word the instructors began. I became paralyzed and swallowed in a abyss of darkness.

Sight had disappeared from me and I awoke in a void. A large black void. I stood on nothingness, I felt solid beneath my feet where nothing existed. In the distance I saw a large red flowing waterfall. I know this is hard to understand, but to this day neither do I understand what happened then. I noticed the wall of red water coming closer at a rapid pace. It was going to kill me. I felt like screaming, and realised. I was screaming, outside of this zero zone my body was probably screaming in pain. What was it Revan had said? Was it…resist? How was I to do that. Surely running into this wall would destroy me. Maybe it was fear that was killing us. Maybe I had to stay confident and embrace the evil that was coming.

So I did.

And for the first time in weeks, I was right.

I stood still and gave the red flowing wall a hug. I embraced it and accepted it. I thanked it for all it was going to give me. It felt cool, refreshing against the humid winds of Malachor. Of Malachor. I opened my eyes and found myself sitting on the floor in a meditating pose along with four other students. I was on Malachor. What had just happened?

"You touched the Dark Side of the Force." Revan said from behind me. He must have read my mind. "Sorry?" I asked confused. "We bore into your minds, to pull out your secrets and used them against you. Your secrets were going to kill you for a second there Atton." "What was all that?" "Your first lesson in Resistance. You resisted, by accepting. That is rule number one. If a Jedi tries to know your secrets you must accept it. And surely enough they will learn acceptance is a Dark force."

So many questions. "Where was I?" "Right here. You fell unconscious a few hours ago. And we helped your body move over here. To rest and to meditate." "What was that red thing?" Revan thought for a minute as if trying to gather words. "That was your interpretation of the force, Rand. You touched the Force. Only for one insignificant moment. But the Dark Side saved you. There has only been one Force user to date who has been able to break through a force block such as the one you just experienced. One, Darth Traya. I sense a link, a small connection in which the two of you shall meet." "So can I use the Force?" "No. At least, not yet. Over the coming years at this Academy we will teach you a great many things. You will be able to cope much easier with all of this, you will be able to cope with loss."

And that's just what I did.

I coped.


	5. Chapter 4- Aargau

**Chapter 4- Aargau**

_It was all over her._

It had been years. I was a man now. I learned to kill, or to hunt as they called it. I could kill without mercy. I could protect myself from the Jedi mind tricks. I belonged with the Academy. I was new. I could do it all. I hated Malachor, I hated what it had done to me. I hated the change, I hated the torture and the brutal beatings I would receive everyday. I loved it. I loved it all. I loved how I hated it. I loved how my hate flowed through my veins. My hate transformed into an invisible force by the time it reached my fingers. I could wield the force.

_It had managed to reach the ceiling._

I sat on the city taxi. There were at least another fifty men on this transport, no women. Peculiar. Funny how you notice things like that. You begin to notice things so that one day a little Jedi don't turn around, get the jump on you, and stab you in the back. No one was looking at me. Good. I didn't want to draw attention to myself. Unless. Maybe they were all avoiding making eye contact to not look suspicious. They were on to me. I felt like I needed to kill them all. Better to wait. Safer that way. Not for me. But safer to ensure the target wasn't warned of my presence.

_It seemed to expand in size across the flat of the walls._

I didn't _need_ to kill them. But I really wanted to. Killing them would get me angry, I'd hate them. Hate makes you stronger. It makes you enjoy the little things in life. The screams of sheer terror. The bus stopped. Made me jump. I'd kill the bus driver for that when the mission ended. I'd ensure it.

_It made it impossible to see through the viewing windows on either sides of the room._

I arrived at my destination. A small living quarters for the homeless in the slums in the capital of Aargau. She would be here. I could smell her. I could taste her. She would be mine and I would set her free. She wasn't a Jedi, yet. I wouldn't give her the chance. I would make sure that the Republic plague the Galaxy no more. This was a test. This assignment, a test. The only advantage she had over me was that she was very perceptive. She would be able to see me now, and notice me from her apartment window if I didn't play it cool.

_It all ended up forming together anyway, it darkened the carpet to mark what had happened here._

I opened the door to the shelter and found the receptionist. He was watching me as I entered. I wasn't looking at him but I sensed him staring, he was curious. Curiosity killed the Kinrath, as the saying goes. He needed to back off or lose his head…literally. That too, I could ensure.

_Leave no witnesses._

"Where is she?" I asked angrily towards the receptionist. He didn't deserve my sight, I continued to look down. "Who, sir?" "WHERE IS SHE!" I yelled back. He let out a yelp but refused to say anything more. I raised my head to look at him. I could make out his facial features in my mind, when I saw them I learned I was accurate to the last detail. I raised my hand suddenly and wrapped it around his throat. "Let me in." I could've snapped it. But I wouldn't need to, the way he was squirming he would've done the job himself. He pushed a set of keys across the desk and I let go of him. He would live, for now.

_I am no coward._

I entered her apartment. She wasn't home. No. She was, I could feel it. She knew I was coming, she expected me. I let my guard down. Through the walls I could feel her breathe from the bathrooms. She was hiding. I would find her. So I headed towards her, stealth isn't needed against someone who is already scared of you.

_I am no coward!_

We shared glances. She had done nothing wrong, was innocent. She didn't understand what I was doing, why I was here. I was here to hunt. It was what I did best. I could hear her talk to herself in her head. _Coward_. She was a coward. I removed my ribbed jacket, I did not want blood on it. Not now. _Coward_. That word again. She intended it for me.

I through myself through the glass of the shower onto her and she kicked me off her straight away before stabbing me in the abdomen with some kind of vibroblade. She wasn't hiding at all. She was waiting. Blood dripped onto the floor. I had not intended to bleed today.

I'll spare you the details on the murder.

But the results were as listed: one of the two windows were cracked, the basin shattered and covered in blood, tiles from the wall had spilled out across the floor, sparks from exposed wiring hung from one of the corners of the roof's ceiling. There was a corpse centered in the room. And there was blood, more than one could imagine existed in a person.

It was all over her. It had managed to reach the ceiling. It seemed to expand in size across the flat of the walls. It made it impossible to see through the viewing windows on either sides of the room. It all ended up forming together anyway, it darkened the carpet to mark what had happened here. My training, was almost over.

I found the Horizon where I left her. She sat in the spaceport which was empty at the time. The people there were all running behind me to some invisible force. What was back there? Nothing but sirens, a dead receptionist, a dead bus driver, plenty of dead 'bus riders', thirty dead law enforcement officers and fire from the fuel depot I had burned as a distraction (not that it was needed).

I was a pawn for the Sith, a pawn for Darth Revan. But I didn't care because whatever he wanted of me he would receive. I was here. And I was Sith. And I was no coward.


	6. Chapter 5- Trayus Core

**Chapter 5- Trayus Core**

It was time. I had never felt so free in my entire life. There was also a sense of horror, I was suffering from lack of killing. I know, sad right? It had been, like, 48 hours since I drained the blood of an innocent. I could feel myself starting to shake.

As I awoke from my slumber I peered over to Drayven's bunk. It was empty. I hadn't seen him the night before and in this late stage of training you couldn't be sure who had or hadn't survived. From the three thousand students, only about a hundred of us were left. And I knew only about ten of them. After last night, I've got no idea how many survived. Rumor has it half of them were ordered to go up against the Den Mother Storm Beast in the Trayus Arena. Drayven Khar amongst them. Last time they went up against her, only two hundred of five hundred survived. Even then, the monster survived and the Jedi Hunters were forced to retreat.

I sat up in the bunk. By now I was used to the hard bunk, I almost enjoyed it. It was just another think in life I learned to love. I learned to hate it, so sleep fueled my strength. I approached the Plasteel Container beside the bed and opened it up. Inside I saw for the first time in a week my Ribbed Jacket. I hadn't worn it for ages. It symbolized a part of me I burned years ago. Only a fortnight ago I gave up on using my blaster pistols in battle. I've been using by beauty lately.

Ever held a lightsaber? It's heavier than you think, at least until you activate it. Somehow, once activated it seems lighter than previously. Is that even possible? During training I had equipped myself with a green single bladed saber. After an incident with an instructor rebellion I ended up losing my saber down a crevice. That's the thing about the Sith, the Sith instantaneously replace your lightsaber before you can say "damn, I lost my light-" and it happened just like that. With the Republic if you lost your lightsaber they'd exile you or something. Revan approached me the following morning and awarded me with a double bladed blue crystal lightsaber, it was his thanks for helping in stopping the rebellion.

Today was the day of my initiation. Today was the day of the apprentices initiation. Upon arrival to the initiation you were allowed to enter the chasm tunnels. Revan predicted only fifteen of the remaining hundred would survive the trials. I had arrived bearing my dark blue tinted Sith robes and my new lightsaber.

I arrived to see the three final surviving instructors waiting at the entrance. The rest had all been slaughtered either in training, or the uprising, or by their tormented students. I specifically recall being told about one trainer who had his throat slit in his sleep by his student. Anyway, one of the instructors stared at me before pointing me towards the webby looking entrance. It was old and had a weird smell and I expected all kinds of horrors to meet me. I was told the Dark Lord Revan would be waiting at the other end. I was told that come sunset the trial chambers will fill with the hottest flame, a flame that was incinerate any person still trying to navigate the chambers. There was only one rule for the trial, you can only enter when the sun rises on the Academy. Through the fog it was often hard to tell whether or not the sun was shining on Malachor. I had a feeling most of the apprentices would've pulled an all-nighter in the hopes that they could be the first to enter.

But it sucks to be them. The second they all rush in, they'd have slaughtered each other in a brutal mass killing. Shame I missed it. In saying that, it also sucks to be those who still sleep in. Those who haven't entered by nightfall are knocked unconscious and fed to the beast of the Arena. Now that'd be a sight to see…assuming I'd survive the trial first.

I took a leap of faith and entered the ghostly tunnels. I was greeted by a sudden frozen breeze. It chilled. I soon discovered through the Force that this trial chamber was filled with thousands of corpses. I could hear screams, screams of the fallen, screams of the desperate souls. They were victims, victims of the Madalorian Wars – I knew, I could feel it. This was no mere burial ground nor tomb, but a catacomb to house the victims of warfare. They may have been killed by clans of pillaging Mandalorians, but truly they were victims of the Republic. A Republic who swore to protect but only ended up betraying.

I was deeper in then I believed. Now not only had fog blocked off the passage forward, but behind also. Anyone too clumsy would lose their way. I was not clumsy. A headed forward at a leisurely pace and half expected something to get the jump on me. Something was going to jump out and kill me. No, it would merely injure. I would win – training had taught me that I could win, I should win and that I would win. I would always win.

My pace was interrupted by the soft sounds of running feet and panting breath. I looked the way I had come, I could see nothing to suggest I was being chased. However, the sounds were dissimilar to those of the fallen. The ghosts tried to comfort and to warn, these sounds did neither. They were human. The person, in here, would surely enough try to kill me. By the frantic breathing it was safe to assume he'd been spooked. He was running, he'd be tired whereas I had only walked the distance. The best course of action would be to kill, but the opponent might not have been necessarily formidable. So I ran. I ran away. To this day I don't regret it, there was no reason to. I ran for minutes and minutes. I began falling tired when I noticed the sounds hadn't changed volume despite me outrunning the person. Also, I had not made any progress in this tunnel and was beginning to wonder where it would lead.

The answer was simple. The noises, not existent. The tunnels, leading me nowhere. I had made not a single bit of progress. I had a feeling I had fallen victim to a Sith mind game. So I began to backtrack. Still the noises of the follower stayed the same in degree. It sounded as though the person, a female, was now running away from me. Soon enough the fog began to fade.

The fog ceased and was replaced by the complete run of the tunnel. In fifteen meters I would meet the end of the tunnel and what appeared, at this stage, to be a long drop down. The brick architecture was now replaced with rocky cave walls.

I reached the end of the hallway and discovered a shocking revelation. Below me was a maze. A massive maze with only one exit on the other side of the massive chamber. Below me there were the other students all navigating their way. Many others were engaged in battles with other students. They were all fighting to the death, they all wanted to make their way out.

It seems so silly now, why not team up and cooperate in finding an exit? Of course, back then, I was eager to kill.

Behind me more voices forged. Their was a clash of lightsabers and a distant flash from the impact. This time, there really were students following me. In front of me there was a giant ladder that led into the maze below. But heck, we were Sith, rules only slowed us down. So I used the force to impact the ground below my feet and as I leapt the Force threw me across the maze and landed me in a small passage. I collapsed upon hitting the ground. I fad flown far further than intended and lost my skill to…well…land. What I found most amusing was of course the tunnel. Behind me it had collapsed and any new students who were to approach the maze would find their entrance blocked. They were doomed – unless one of them was actually smart enough to launch some kind of Force Repulse and blow up the mountain side, but that hadn't had that ability in centuries.

Which way? Always go left. No. Always go right. How did it go? I couldn't be to sure. Also, there was no left or right when you were in the middle of a straight passage way and the only ways to move was forwards or back. Still, better to move on forward. I took a few steps forward before I witnessed a student's body flung at the other end where the passage met a corner. Nope, turning the other way. I ran, better to go back. Yep. Better…back. Yep- yep- yep. Anyone who says to go forward, dead, or stupid, or both.

I spent at least another hour searching for a way out. None had come across me and survived. Though, I'd only crossed Rocco. But Rocco was dead now, I sliced him down centre from head to toe. He bled. He bled red, red is rage, rage fuels anger, anger is power, anger fueled power, and power is strength. His death made me crave more killings. So I searched, I searched for another victim. Everyone knew that it'd be more likely for one to reach the exit if one wasn't actually looking for it. It was time for a hunt. Throughout the hour I had had plenty of close encounters with enemies, battles that had happened over the walls of the maze. It was something about this room, there was an aurora that reduced and pained the use of Force powers. After my leap earlier I was exhausted.

And it wasn't before too long that I reached an exit. Okay, that's a lie. It seemed like another hour or two before I'd found the exit.

Once I had, however, about seven other Sith apprentices had been brutally slaughtered and all by me. They died a slow and painful death, just as they deserved.

I think I might actually be able to skip ahead a bit in my story. Overall I murdered, faced off against Garm too. The bastard lived, but I assured him that I'd have his head sooner or later. After all this time I thought he'd died in training. No, I was wrong. I was actually more concerned with a confrontation with Khar, my old friend and latest bunkmate. If I came across him I would have no choice but to gut him like a Firaxan Shark. We were friends, but friends ensured a weakness against the enemy. If he had died then I would have been sad, yes, but I would have been relieved that I was practically invincible.

The exit was not dissimilar to the other tunnel that led into the large, open, labyrinth. It appeared to be glowing red with anger and darkness. However, quite peculiarly, the red wasn't actually visible by sight but only by the Force. So, figuring this the exit, I entered. The ghosts of the Sith students I soon discovered. The ran at me from both angles wielding their lightsaberes and charging in fury.

I unsheathed my lightsabre, it glowed a fluorescent green. I had wished it blue to resemble my Dark Jedi Assassin Robes. I initiated a flurry of strikes forward to wipe out the three ghosts coming at me from the front. From behind another six charged but where easily dissipated with a strong Force Push. When I tried to Force Choke a tenth ghost it slipped between my grasp and swung it's transparent blade at me. It struck the flesh. I bled. I couldn't quite comprehend that – how could a ghost cause harm? Regardless. I removed the threat with a dose of Force Lightning.

As the tunnel ended another sixty metres further it led into an open chamber much like the entrance. The surviving Sith trainees lined the walls and down four steps from the tunnel was a small fire lit in a dark grated ritual pan sat centered in the chamber. A cloaked, dark robed man was facing away from me and toward the fire. As I approached the man turned. It was Master Revan.

"You have made it. Made it to the end. Welcome." He bowed and signaled me over by turning back towards the fire. I approached and stared into the glowing embers. "Are the trials over, master?" Revan was silent. He knew something. Was he going to attack? He better, because if he tried I would be responsible for the murder of the Dark Lord of the Sith. His apprentice, Darth Malak, would take over – now wouldn't that be something. Behind me the sound of a lightsabre activating and deactivating was heard over and over again. What?

I turned while simultaneously removing my lightsaber from my belt and activating it. The result, a blue lightsaber hit mine and bounced off landing on the floor. Before it's owner could retrieve it with the Force I picked it up and wielded it in my right hand. Behind me I found Garm and one of his posse. I'd assumed the others that once followed him were dead. Good. But bad, I wanted a challenge. Garm was angrier than he had ever been before. He punched his follower in the stomach and stole his yellow bladed lightsabre. He activated it and as his friend doubled over in pain Garm spun the blade around ever so fluidly and in doing so removed the poor boy's head.

"I am here, master. I am the one who has made it through, this man, this… Jaq, he is the pretender." He said grunting when he finished. "Pretender?" I shouted. "Who are you calling a pretender? You are nothing but a crying little Bith with no one to call your friend."

Garm dove at me. I dive rolled forwards and he ended up going over me. I let go over my green lightsabre and he barely had enough time to react and he landed right into the lightsabre as the device slowly deactivated. I finished my roll and had no time to see what damage I had caused. When I did turn around it was throw Garm's own weapon back at him. The boy jumped in a back flip and the lightsabre chopped off his right leg. The left one was also chopped off and I had no idea whether or not it was from either my first or second attack. Who cared? But there was blood.

I pushed out my hand and grabbed him mid-flip with the Force. I caught him with his head towards the ground. As I held him up with my left hand I used the Force to summon Garm's lightsaber with my right. Using similar powers Garm summoned the yellow blade and tossed it at me but I swung my weapon at it effortlessly and sliced the handle in two. The boy's eyes widened, at first I believed him scared then I realised that I had begun tightening my grip. The pressure was building up in his head and in a few short minutes his eyes would have spilled out in a pool of whitish pink blood all over his robes. Slowly I walked him closer to Revan who sidestepped out of our way. Then I proceeded to dunk him…into the fire. Bit by bit I lowered the Shyrack into the ashes until there was nothing left to him but his stumps of legs. By then I released him and allowed his ashen corps to burn. Garm was dead. And the last thing he called me… Jaq.

"Your initiation is complete." Stated Revan.

I looked up from the ground, Garm's blue crystal lightsaber in my right hand. I didn't know where the other was. However, I did realise that I was no longer in the ritual chamber but on a stage with the other Sith masters, teachers and assassins. There were seven of us, Drayven Khar included. We had won. I was the last of the initiates. Revan began his speech.

"We have our seventh assassin. The seventh marks the final. The final marks the deaths to the rest. As we speak the cries of a hundred Dark Jedi Assassin Apprentices drown out the labyrinth that the seven of you proceeded to navigate. Well done. We have transported ourselves and yourself to this chamber, the _real_ ritual chamber. There is no one left to transport any remaining initiates out of the maze. The entrance cave has been closed off and four unintelligible souls are still moving forward in order to continue. They have been covered in rock, the remaining competitors will starve over time. The training we have provided here at the Malachor V Trayus Academy has readied you for this final task of survival. And you have completed it, you are no longer expendable nor a mere rookie. You are Dark Assassins- _My _Dark Assassins. And I will see you destroyed before you fall to the Light Side of the Force.

"Now, step forward initiate seven." He concluded. I stepped forward. "You are ready, bow before me." I did so. Revan activated his lightsabre and for the first time in my five or six or ten years of training I felt trust. He knighted me. I was of the Sith. I was of Revan. And it felt good.

"Rise Assassin. Atton Rand, your ship and equipment is ready for you. You are welcome to train here as long as you like and you will now be assigned missions by the Sith Council here on Malachor V to assassinate Republic Elites as part of the Revanarchist initiative. Congratulations. Are there any final requests before you commence?"

"Yes." I began.

"Atton Rand is dead. Call me Jaq."


	7. Chapter 6- Coruscant

**Chapter 6- Coruscant**

I'd left my shuttle, Sleheyron's Bishop behind. I landed it in the slums about seventy clicks away. I could make it back, but the JediTemple would be on high alert. This was my first mission since leaving the academy. I wasn't nervous, nor excited. I was prepared for blood, I longed for blood. There was something about the consistency of it. It's touch was soothing. Prior to the mission Khar confronted me at the academy hangar.

"Jaq? What the feirfek are you on about? Atton, you're giving in to Garm and all he tried to make you become." "Good." I replied. "If he wanted me to become this, he got what was coming to him. The apprentice always rises up against the master. It's the Sith way as much as we'd hate to admit it." "It's not the Sith way, can you imagine Darth Revan being betrayed by Darth Malak?" "No. That is unlikely to happen. But if it does, Revan would surely die by his hands. If not from the initial attack then from a later confrontation." "No doubt." …oops, yeah, we might have stuffed that one up a bit.

Khar opened his locker and retrieved his retractable quarterstaff. "My first mission is to Onderon. Hurl has got his first mission to Rhen Var." "Rhen Var?" I asked for confirmation. "Yeah, whatever poor bastard he has as a target is gonna get ripped apart. I feel sorry for the target." "Don't." "What?" He asked confused. "Don't feel sorry for the enemy. They are the enemy, nothing but a bag of blood."

That was how I was going to approach this mission. I walked up the flight of stairs leading to the JediTemple. It was ugly, especially compared to the dark wiry and gothic look of the Sith Academy on Korriban where I had trained on my third year as an Assassin Padawan. My plan of infiltration was to simply enter through the front. If I was greeted, it be likely from a mere padawan who couldn't detect a Sith from his elbow. If I passed a Master then I would have no choice but to slaughter him.

I had been trained in the Enchanci way to resist Jedi Mind Tricks, but there would be no hope for me if I found myself surrounded by fifty Jedi attackers. My approach would need to be stealth as not to raise the alarm when I was in the vicinity of the target. I could always stab the objective with a Rodian Death Blade and then scream in fear as I hold the dead, but if a Jedi didn't suspect me as Sith then, they would definitely do so when searching for the attacker.

That meant I'd have to attack from afar, and quickly. A blaster fire would take too long to reach the goal and by that time they would have unsheathed their lightsabre and deflected the bolt. So a sniper rifle was preferable. It was retractable and disguised as a Blaster Pistol. I'd modified it to fire projectiles instead of bolts. The projectile would ensure a painful death.

I entered the JediTemple and completely ignored a padawan who waved at me welcomingly. Inside, the Temple was massive. In the back of the Temple I could see the Library. Intel suggested the target would be there. My target was apprentice to the Jedi Master Zez-Kai Ell or something like that. Republic names were tough to remember. Sith names just started with the word Darth, Lord or Captain and you were fine. These Republic were so inferior and insignificant compared to the might of the Secret Empire.

I made my way up the steps located to the left of the central annex. Heading along the catwalk I managed to make my way to a ledge located halfway along the wall between the entrance and the library. I looked left and right to ensure I was alone. I was. I had built small projectile discs, three of them, that released a large rectangular impenetrable shield for the time space of four minutes.

I placed one on either side of me as to protect me if my cover was blown. I retracted my sniper and set up an emplacement on the ledge facing the Library. I proceeded to activate both shields.

Looking down the rifle's sights I began to scan the area for any potential sighting of my ultimate goal. He was a pale Jedi wearing a master's robes, he had a green crystal Lightsabre similar to my first weapon – my new one being the blue one I stole from Garm. The target also wore a light tanned beard with three golden streaks. I paid attention to detail in mission briefings. Doing so allowed maximum enjoyment if you successfully decapitate an enemy, not that that was my plan for this particular target.

But there he was.

He looked so smug.

Boma would get what was coming to him sooner or later.

No.

Boma would get what was coming to him now.

The Jedi turned towards the historian on one of the datapads. He hid himself behind a holocron wall and soon took another turn into my sights. Then, before returning towards the historian, he stopped. He must have had a stroke. …or worse. He dropped the datapad and seconds later turned towards the entrance. Or… no… I soon realised he turned to me. He felt my presence. His opened his eyes wide and shocked and ashamed that he had caught me, I fired. That wiped the once smug look clean off his face. The slug crawled out of the rifle's barrel and eagerly blast itself towards its fearful target. The shot was quiet and landed itself dead centre above and between the Jedi's eyes. Through the scope I noticed only two drops of blood seep out through the fresh hole in his head.

The man collapsed. Success. Now I was glad that he had noticed me, his fear fueled my power. And power was good. By now the shields either side of me only had thirty seconds life left. I turned towards the window and swiftly drew my lightsaber, shattered the window jumped out dropping the third shield behind me. I could sense behind me roughly six Jedi and a few guards leap up onto the balcony I just left behind. Then I sensed their guilt and shameful sense of failure as I had blocked off any chance they had of capturing me.

I was now on the rooftops of the JediTemple. Below me a class of Padawans were doing some Jedi lightsaber techniques. I was becoming an expert in Dun Möch, these mere younglings were practicing basic Soresu and Shien. They were rookies but they were learning quite advanced maneuvers – for younglings.

Deciding against an aimless massacre I leapt over the other side of the rooftop on the left hallway. Here I found myself facing off a lone straddling padawan. He was human, much like myself. He activated his violet shaded lightsaber. His death would come and go quickly. But was his death necessary? I could merely stun him and continue to the Sleheyron's Bishop. But something boiled up in me. Anger, rage, excitement…everything; everything fueled my need for blood. I needed blood. It was a high a had to fulfill. So I killed him.

I gutted the child.

And the Republic would know my name. I left a small datapad by my rifle stating:

_The Republic will fall. All hands raised for the Dark Lord of the Sith. Darth Revan will rise again. May you give up hope or devote your lives to the Sith. More lives will perish the longer you wait.  
Jaq._

That was what I left them. Informal, yes, that was a given. But who cared? They may have seen me quite illiterate but they would soon learn the power of the dark side when they discovered this child. This abomination of nature.

It wasn't too long before I'd made my way to the slums of Coruscant. The mission had been a massive success. Now alarms sounded off to warn the public of this brutal murder. Every time I found myself coming across one of the blasting horns I simply yanked them to the ground with the Force as to silence them. I would be on my ship again soon enough.

From one of the cantinas a drunkard was thrown out. I passed him as he stood. At the top of his voice he yelled out to me.

"Oi, you! I remember you! You owe me a zillion credits!" I stopped. "I beg your pardon?" "You're Atton Rand. That gambling kid." Atton Rand. The name sounded so familiar, yet so distant. Was it my name before my graduation? Yes it was. I was beginning to forget my own name, my old name. Rand was my past, and as Revan once told me, the past can hold you back. Over time I would slowly forget this past. And I would be glad to-

"Hey! I'm talking to you! You fat Gammorian slug!" I began to walk again. No need to waste time with such slugs. "Yeah, you. Rand I'm gonna cut ya-"

His neck snapped. Suddenly, somehow. Just I had no idea how it happened. What a strange set of circumstances. I certainly couldn't be blamed for this, why would I want to snap this annoying little Gizka's neck so that I can watch the colour drain from his face and the sweat drip off his brow? It's just ridiculous.

Nah it was me.

Did I fool you?

In time I entered the ship. Now the sirens had stopped blaring and I was able to establish a connection with Revan's flagship. His appearance showed up in hologram in my communications room on the Sleheyron's Bishop.

"How did the mission go?" Revan asked. "The mission was a success. I did end up drawing attention to myself, the target knew I was coming. However I succesfuly evaded and there were no extra casualties." I lied. I failed to mention the child. "I see you've failed the mention the child." Drat, forgot he could read minds. "Uh, yes…sir." "That is okay, I have a new task for you."

I was ready. "I believe you are familiar with the Sith world of Taris?"


	8. Chapter 7- Taris

**Chapter 7- Taris**

"Greetings Master Jaq." Said the Sith officer as I entered the Sith Base on the UpperCity levels of Taris. "We've been expecting you." "And I your hospitality." Figured it the right thing to be polite. "The prisoner is over in the holding cells this way." The officer walked me to the other end of the Sith Base. The building wasn't too big and was still under construction.

Soon we arrived in the holding cells. There I found myself face to face with an imprisoned male Nautolan Jedi. He and his sister were the targets. He, like the intel on his sister suggested, had green Lekku. They were shinier than most other Nautolan's head-tails, this was a clear sign of adolescence. Twi'lek suffered the same infliction, the same infliction of being young aliens. I hated aliens, almost as much as I hated the Jedi. Zabrak were okay, they were brutal and required little training in becoming a Sith. Tomen, a Zabrak Assassin died six months ago while I was on my mission to Coruscant. Tomen faced a whole platoon of Republic soldiers and successfully butchered them all. He died on that mission, in self respect and admiration he boasted by leaning on a wall. Only, there was no wall, only a massive twenty five thousand mile drop. His mission was on CloudCity, and I am quite unsure whether there is even a ground in that world. Wait! I'm getting off topic.

"What is your name?" I asked him. He slumped down inside his force cage. His foot touched the walls and he was zapped with a sharp shock. He flinched and curled up against the back of the cage. "What is your name alien?" I said, much more forcefully this time. This Jedi was no Padawan, but recently initiated. He was far stronger than any Jedi Padawan we Assassins were ever going to face. His sister, who was not present, was supposed to be far more dangerous.

"Look you alien slime, if you don't respond to me I will proceed to execute you slowly and painfully." This treat made the Nautolan look up. "L…L- Lorak. My name is Lorak." He stared at my, not fearful but nervous and guilty. Guilty for what I wondered?

"Where is your sister?" I asked. The Nautolan ignored my question and considered to stare. The officer commented. "The prisoner made no mention of a sister." I looked at him and proceeded to Force Push him into the corner of the room. A sharp crack signified the crack of a skull on the wall. He was awake, but silently in pain. His expression and weak willed mind revealed everything.

"Alright Nautolan, if you refuse to tell me there apparent whereabouts of your slimy alien sister, I will find her, I will capture her, and I will sell her to a Hutt for a …pet." The Nautolan stood aggressively, knocking his elbow against the wall of the Force Cage. "No! Don't hurt her! If I tell you, you'll kill her anyway. As a slave at least she'll be live." "Not exactly. I'll ensure she lives, yes, but she will endure all kinds of suffering that will allow to feel as though she preferred death. Especially when I reveal to her that you sold her out and set up the whole exchange with the Hutt before turning to the Sith." "No! She's down in the Undercity where the Rakghouls are! I sent her there to escape! She's probably trying to find a cure or something!"

I turned towards the red and green panels on the wall. I switched all to red. Behind me the Force Cage's liquidation attribute initiated and the Nautolan slowly burned to a crisp. I was now going to head into the Undercity in search of the woman.

The officer had contacted two checkpoints, he had said, the first guarded the elevator from the upper city to the lower city and then the second guarded the elevator to the savage lands below Taris.

"Good day to you, sir." The first soldier had said to me, his shiny silver and metallic armor was a sight to be seen. A sight that should invoke such a force upon a person – they should be glad to be Sith I remember saying to myself. "Thank you. Should I expect trouble on the Lower Levels?" I asked pleasantly. "Affirmative. The swoop gangs have engaged the Black Vulkars and are slowly taking back lost territory. The Black Vulkars are firing upon everyone who goes down there, civilians included." "Well it would the civilians faults for going down there." "Yes sir." "Have you warned the people about the dangers?" "No." He replied feeling somewhat guilty. "Don't bother, let them die if curiosity gets the better of them."

I continued into the lower levels. I walked slowly, enough to show any thug that I was not afraid. And because of that, no conflict occurred. At least until the Bounty Hunters had gotten involved.

"Hey, you!" A voice had called from behind me. I stopped, obviously. There was no need to turn and see who was shouting. I new the smell of him and the Force told me everything that it needed to. He was a bounty hunter, a good one at that. He wore a blue and orange bounty hunter outfit and flight goggles over his eyes. A corny look but he was currently the most feared bounty hunter in the Outer Rim. He was… Calo Nord.

Calo Nord was a legend in the business of hunting. It would only take him thirty seconds to flush out a hive of Duros mercs with dual blasters and a thermal detonator. The new ECD models had been tested and bought by him on the black market, it was known. The ECD detonators could blind a man before incinerating them with a thousand individual bolts of electricity. One detonator would kill me and I wouldn't be able to defend nor recover after that. Yet, I had to do something.

"Hey, I'm talking to you." He was smiling, I could hear his smugness in his voice. A smugness similar to that of my last Coruscant target. "What brings you down here, Nord?" "So it's true. You are a Jedi, how-" I interrupted. "I am not a Jedi. I am much worse." "There's a bounty on your head Jedi." "I am not a Jed-" This time he interrupted. "The Republic are paying me to take your head. They want you alive but they'll be willing to make an exception." "Did they tell you I was a Jedi?"

He stopped, possibly to think. Through the Force I felt him, I saw him tilt his head. "No. I figured. I figured you'd gone rogue." "Then you figured wrong. I was never a Jedi scum. I am an Assassin trained in the Dark Side." Now I stopped. There was something wrong. Something in the Force had changed – the detonator. The Boma had activated a detonator.

I turned to him quickly and noticed a detonator hurtling towards me. With the Force I grasped it in mid air. Before throwing it back at Nord it exploded. The vision left my eyes and replaced itself with a wash of whiteness. I felt a few stray bolts of electricity course through me. I was thrown back but only realised when my spine hit the ground. The ground shook and I heard rocks shattering as the impacted on something. I assumed the roof of the tunnel had caved in. So as I stood and my vision blurred a launched a Force Repulse at the rockslide and cleared the access way. No doubt Calo Nord survived, but at least he wouldn't be coming back anytime soon.

Soon I reached the next Sith checkpoint.

"Halt! Who goes there!" shouted the next soldier. The man was surrounded by approximately eight ground and rooftop turrets. These were the Geonosian Models, they could tear a whole through a hull of a ship – though that was unlikely due to it's close range firing and it's lack of damage against ship shields.

"Sith Agent Atton Rand. My code sign is Alpha-Rancor-oh-four-Beta." The Sith looked down at his datapad. "I'm sorry, you can't be." I was stunned. "What?" "You're an imposter, we let you in just fifteen seconds ago."

A pretender had taken my place. "Who is this pretender?" "You!" "No, who was the person you saw?" "A Nautolan woman claiming to be a Sith came up ten minutes ago and returned with a vial so I let her down. That was about twenty to thirty seconds ago. Now, if you don't have the proper authorization papers please move along." Now I was angry.

I activated my lightsaber. The sound was ever so comforting. I spun the blade around violently and sliced his chest open from his left breast to his right hip. His right arm popped off with the slice and left a fountain of oozing blood to squirt out his socket. Blood never satisfied enough anymore. Now blood from an enemy was comforting but the addiction was now wasted.

The turrets in the vicinity all turned to me and after a few seconds opened fire. I rapidly spun my lightsaber vertically around the outside of my body and deflected all bolts back at the turrets. No damage was done to the turrets so I found no alternative but to slip into the elevator behind the bloody mess of a corpse at my feet. As I stepped in the doors closed and I was on my way.

Since the establishment of the Upper City on Taris no alien was allowed in the apartments above but were reduced to the deadly lower city apartments where about eighty percent of the populace resided. Another five percent reside in the under city where the land is overgrown and the people are refugees who live in camp sites. The area is populated with beggars and thieves, all considered part of a tribe. The Under city is also home to the plague known as the Rakghoul Plague – this was a disease that infected sentient beings with a virus that would slowly turn them into a carnivorous and cannibalistic wild monster known by the same name as it's disease, the Rakghoul. The plague had boxed the camp in to the elevator to Taris.

"Welcome. Do you have any food? Any credits?" Asked a woman at the entrance. I felt no sorrow or sympathy for her, instead only anger that she persisted in irritating me. I wanted her dead. However, if I started to murder these beings than the Nautolan would flee. I would find her and then kill these pathetics.

I pushed the girl over. Yes, she was a girl. Six in age.

I approached an older man. "Excuse me, have you seen a Nautolan anywhere around here?" I asked him. "Why yes, I am the Chief of the tribe here. Welcome, friend." "Thank you greatly for you hospitality. Is there anything I can do to help the situation here?" "Actually yes. There are a few stragglers lost in the savage lands under attack from Rakghouls, they may be dead, but they hold resources that we need to survive. You could donate. Of, and one of the tribal elders has some datapads referring to the PromisedLands but I- No, I apologize for putting you under this. Don't worry about it." "No, I'd like to help. I will." No I wouldn't. "In that case, feel free to ask around. Who was it you were looking for again, sorry?" "A Nautolan woman. She's an old friend." "Of course, Doctor Sheada's by the South Gate. She has stumbled upon a Rakghoul Cure and has brought it down. She's curing four of the citizens now." "Thank you."

A conversation that wasted time. I approached the South Gate. Inside where no hostiles but was an extremely small space that appeared no bigger than three holding cells. There I caught sight of a Nautolan injecting a woman. The third subject, two others sat against the back wall and a fourth stood beside the Jedi now.

"How do you feel?" she asked the subject being injected. "Nervous. Are you sure this cure will work?" "No." she said guiltily. "I am not sure, but no matter what happens you will be safe." The syringe was removed from the woman's elbow and the subject placed herself beside the other two.

"Doctor Shaeda?" I asked. She stopped and left her final subject, the second woman, waiting for her. "Not now," she began. "please not now." I growl was heard to the right of me to where the three were sitting. In front my eyes the first of the injected began to turn. His skin turned pale-green and spikes began to protrude from his spinal column. Teeth tore from his jaw and punctured his skin. He was no longer human. The beast turned to his right and ripped off the head of the second subject in his monstrous jaws. A fountain of satin fluids spouted from the second subject's neck. The woman screamed and ran towards Shaeda.

"No! This compound increases subject's susceptibility to the Rakghoul Virus!" With this the Jedi turned to me and activated her Lightsaber, an orange crystalled saber. I pulled it out of her grasp with the Force and dove back past the South Gate. I punched the console and the gate shut, locking her in. She tried to pull the gate open with the Force but I held it down. Behind her the other two women were murdered by the Rakghoul. One of the women even became one.

The Nautolan screamed and ear piercing yelp. The Rakghouls jumped her and she collapsed, a spray of blood splurted on the grass and the gate. The blood on the grass was the same color of her skin. Her skin had changed in coloration to a bright red. She became a shiny demonic Rakghoul. An abomination amongst abominations. The red Rakghoul dove over the metal fence and after killing two villagers leapt into the savage lands leaving the two green Rakghouls behind the fence. Again I hit the console and gas poured behind the fence and extinguished the Rakghouls. They collapsed and bubbled away until they were no more than a puddle of goop. And now there was no more Rakghoul poison left. If anymore of the beasties attacked the tribe it would be unlikely that the people would be able to defend themselves.

I continued to walk away, and in slow motion too. Behind me a Rakghoul hit an ion canister (I recognized the sound) and the whole thing lit up like a Geonosian Spitter's Gloop. As the fires and explosions burnt half of the camp to the ground I couldn't help but feel how badass I was. This feeling of happiness and amusement was simple… yet very familiar. It was a feeling I had felt before but must have repressed. It would be another part of me I would have to rid myself of. Memories can be dangerous. Memories can be a weakness.

Sleheyron's Bishop awaited me by the docks of the Sith Base. The Sith officer I had previously choked welcomed me. However, I was in no mood to comply. I was intrigued – this memory. Where had it come from? It would have to be ridded of, but only by time. I mustn't let it get to me, I remember telling myself, it will no doubt lead to my downfall. Back on topic, the mission was a success. I had killed the first of the two targets and the second I had turned into a beast and one of which would haunt the dreams of Tarisians for years. I had created a legend.

Post debrief I returned to Malachor V where I was greeted by my old friend Khar. He was enthused by the accomplishment of his mission. He had only recently blown up an oil refinery on Voss and tracked the Jedi who escaped the facility all the way to Ord Mantell where he was brutally cut down outside a Republic Fort. My friend, Khar, was my most loyal of companions in the years to come.

Over the coming months I would assassinate 41 more targets.

My next target was on the dusty planet of Muunilist. I had led a platoon of Sith Soldiers and my own Astromech Droid to the frontlines of battle. We had marched for days, the Anti-Aircraft Turrets protected the city of Davesh. I ended up having to sacrifice my men to charge down the sights of the heavy repeater laser turrets guarding the city's bombshelter. My men died while my droid, X8-10, and I navigated the city's shops to look for an exit that led to the bunker. We succeeded and the Utapaun Jedi Master was killed.

My next after the Utapaun was a Twi'lek/Human hybrid that went under the title Jedi Master, Jedi Master Nolan For the. He was a trader, he, an old Dark Jedi turned traitor and began trading Sith holocrons and crystals over to the Republic. So I killed him.


	9. Chapter 8- Taloraan

**Chapter 8- Taloraan**

"Jaq?"

Just ignore him and he'll go away.

"Jaq? Come in, Jaq. Are you there? Jaq?"

Damn. How long does it take for holocrons to give up when no one replies.

"Jaq! Pick up! I know you're there! I can sense you."

Busted. I touched lightly upon the blinking red light on the console by the door of the Sleheyron's Bishop's meditation chamber. The machine whirred and the image of my old friend Drayven Khar appeared in the centre of the circular room.

"Jaq. Why have you been ignoring me?"

"Ignoring you? I wasn't."

I was. After my last mission on Felucia Khar was becoming increasingly concerned for my mental health. I was getting more aggressive, he had said. So I said "Good. Aggression is power." That was three and a half weeks ago. I hadn't spoken to him once since.

"You were ignoring me, Jaq, and you know it." He said, as if telling off a child. "Don't use that tone with me. _You_ are not my master. Lord Revan isn't concerned as far as I'm aware so neither should you." That'd show him.

"That's what I'm trying to contact you about." Said the image of Khar, it began looking at it's feet. He was sad. Why?

"I'm fine Khar!" I yelled. He stumbled back before rebutting "No you're not! You aren't the friend I trained beside! You were arrogant, naïve and fun. You wouldn't let a bully push you around, you'd just sock 'em in the jaw and be on with it! Now you'd choke him until his eyes pop out!"

"I'm fine Khar!"

"You're not and you know it!" I knew no such thing. And I wasn't even in denial. I was powerful, if anything, this Jedi annihilation business was healthy. "You haven't been the same since you left Felucia!"

"Felucia was a successful mission! I killed my target!"

"The mission was a success…" he paused. He took a deep breath before continuing. "…but you weren't the one to kill him. I saw the reports. You killed that young Jedi's family in front of him and let him in a state of depression pour Rancor Juice on himself, and allow him to set himself alight before jumping into that Sarlaac Pit. I read the report. You, old friend, are not fine."

"I'm leaving, Khar."

"Where to?"

"I'm going on my mission. Lord Revan wants me to put a Republic Jedi General to death."

Drayven stopped. He was stunned.

"Don't bother-"

"I will! I don't need you telling me what to do! Leave me be! I need to be calm!"

"No wait!"

I used the Force to deactivate the comms. His image flickered off and I lost sight of me. He was always looking out for me, trying to keep me safe. The Nerf-herder was only holding me back.

This, however, was target number 44. I had flown to the sky planet of Taloraan. I had been told many a times that Taloraan was Bespin, though incorporated the extra thug cities Cato Nemoidia held. I approached the Bishop's cockpit and sat myself in my comfy chair. I touched some buttons and did my duty in order to land. This was the city the Jedi General Sloruxnas was on. I could feel it in the Force, however, it was also quite odd that I received no comms from Traffic Control.

As I touched for a landing I noticed through the light coloured smog that this haven was much like that of a Coruscanti cantina. There were slums, backstreets, beggars, cantinas, military docks and Republic patrols. From the docking port one had to cross a large bridge to the public residential module, this was where I would find Sloruxnas.

Intel was scarce with the target. My droid, X8-10, a warbot, had scouted the planet of Nal Hutta in order to gather some intel. I'd had the battle droid for just under a year or something. He was a faithful companion. X8 was the reason I put so much faith in droids. If Khar failed a mission an the result was his death, he would now be expendable and my droid would become a suitable replacement as a… friend.

The landing ramp lowered.

I made my way onto the docking circle. I'd landed the ship right beside a Republic Starfighter. My guess was that there was no more room in the Military Docks – which meant more enemies. On my belt hung my blue lightsaber, occasionally with a nervous fidget I would unclip it, spin it five revolutions in my palm and click it back on. A used to do a similar thing with my blasters, but I was a Dark Assassin now. I was clean of such outdated armaments.

My boots clanged against the hard steal of the manufactured ground. The city floated in the sky, yet still it was easy to breathe. Obviously there were some risks, as Bith could only be found in the Cantina where the air was pressurized. Even still, the only Bith one could find were those playing gigs on stage. And don't even get me started on the Gands. The Gands were despicable little pests. There needed to be some form of hunt to get the small parasites extinct. A bloody massacre, yes that would do the trick, yes indeed.

A Republic Warship ascended from underneath the city. It was massive, curious I had not spotted it in my descent. The beast of a spaceship was ear piercingly loud. It must have been refueling at some station in the underside of this… uh, glorious city. The thrusters roared to life and the squeal of the ship was replaced with a booming guttural roar as the ship, now above me, began to move off in a forward-diagonally upwards motion into the sky. The city shook as the ship disappeared from sight. After that awe full display, I was ready for the mission.

Awe full? Full of awe? Wouldn't that be awful? But awful isn't full of awe, awful is without awe. How weird.

What was that? It was a little voice in the back of my skull, it began screaming like a banshee. Humor, humor? I never _joked_, my conscience was trying to change me. And I mustn't let that happen. Not now, not ever.

Approaching the bridge I noticed only one civilian apart from the twenty soldiers currently occupying the walkway. It was highly likely that the civilians of this city caught taxi from other cities, that the Republic were using this city as a military hold-up. The bridge was easily wide enough to host tanks and other heavy artillery. It seemed only logical.

Passing the Republic onlookers I stepped into the massive cantina that took up most of the complex. As the door opened I was greeted, not by music, but by a small room about two meters in length and six in width. As I stepped in the reinforced steel door behind me closed and a clear white gas filled the chamber.

It's a trap!

No, Jaq you idiot. It's not a trap. Let's not get too ahead of ourselves. That would be best, no? The room was only an air lock.

Soon the door in the front of the chamber opened to reveal a massive four level cantina that stretched back further than I could see. There was loud beating music and a large darkness constantly being interrupted by washes of violent, pink and green and strobes of blue, yellow and red. There were no Biths as there was no band. This was all console manufactured music, designed by skilled tech-masters.

The bar seemed to stretch for about eighty meters in length, though the fumes in the pressure compartment may have distorted my sight just a tad. There were thousands within the cantina. My best bet for finding this, Sloruxnas, would be to mingle with the guests. But mingling wasn't my strong point so I decided to converse with a bartender. The first bartender I spoke to was a man with a smushed and smooshy face. An alien crossbreed no doubt, only, this breeding had gone horribly wrong. It looked as though the man had shoved his face into a cruiser's thrusters. And he was big, looks like after permanently scarring his face he decided to swallow a thermal detonator to end the pain – only that failed too and now he was just really ugly.

"Hey, you!" I called to him. But he didn't answer. So I did it twice more. "You. You! Yeah you! Come here!"

Eventually he turned and, cleaning a glass with a black and oily rag returned with…

"How can I help you sir?"

"I'd like some information." I said.

"Oh yeah?" "Yes. I was wondering if you knew of a Republic General who occasionally drinks here?"

X9-10's intel informed me that he would be most likely hidden within the cantina. I thought it an easy location to search, until I discovered the size.

"No. Now order or Feirfek off, you hear?" he shouted angrily.

Alright, now I was mad.

I unsheathed my lightsaber and used the Force to sense out the closest hostile. A Republic Soldier passed with a tray of drinks he was, I assume, going to give to his friends. Friends are weaknesses. I taught him the lesson well as I activated the lightsaber and allowed the concentrating man to walk right through the light. He dropped the tray, the glasses shattered, and his legs imploded and acted as a cushion for his torso which fell straight after. As the boy fell I pulled out his blaster.

Heavy, a DC-9er, un-silenced.

I raised the weapon in the air and pulled on the trigger. The gun jerked back and the recoil nearly forced the pistol down upon my skull. I was stronger and recoil became minimal once I was prepared. I pulled on the trigger five more times. Six shots total into the roof. They were loud. The people stopped. The music stopped. Everything died. And they were all looking for me. The only person to move away would be the now suspecting General Sloruxnas.

Within the crowds all were watching. While my eyes searched forwards the Force watched behind me. In the crowds not too far in front I noticed three civilians knocked ever so slightly. Sloruxnas. I raised the soldier's blaster to that area and fired thrice more. One shot hit a civilian in the chest, another in the head. They collapsed and the General was seen. He was a Kel Dor. The insignificant was hooded, probably in an attempt to hide his breathing mask. He turned to see me as I saw him.

We stopped.

We used a Force Repulse and knocked all the civilians within the four meter radius on the floor of the bar. They were all knocked out, and unlikely to wake up for the next few days – this Jedi was strong. He ran. I followed. He knocked over any civilian in his way, bowling them over with his elbows. I only needed to follow in his tracks. I was tempted to turn on my weapon and slice the next fifty people in half, that ran the risk of slowing me down.

There were two Gamorrean nightclub bouncers guarding the exit. They allowed Sloruxnas to pass but stood in front of the door when I approached. The door shut behind the General and he was gone. But I raised both hands and slid the two to the sides on either sides of the doors. Stunned and confused they stopped and allowed me passage. But the door was still closed.

I stopped.

I pulled my hands back and built up all the Force I could gather. Releasing it I threw all I could at the exit doors. And the Force, my weapon, exploded from my palms and blew open both the closest door and the outer door. The General flew off carried by the attack I had given. He collapsed alongside all the other soldiers around him. But he recovered quick. The General continued and ran for his life. He had a headstart, but I was quicker – still I doubted I could catch him in time.

The Bantha just kept running. Behind me I could hear the clattering footsteps of gathering Republic soldiers. In front of me, in front of the Kel Doran General troopers lined up on the docking pads and entered their starfighters. They would gun me down given the chance. Luckily I had other Republic soldiers around me, so they wouldn't really be firing upon me any time soon.

The General crossed the bridge and took a right, presumably to his fighter. Straight ahead was mine. I may just be able to catch him in time. A figure emerged from my docking pad. It was humanoid and equipped with a heavy ion cannon. It can punch some real damage. Also luckily, I discovered it was X8-10. And today would be the day I no longer trusted droids. As the Sloruxnas passed him I hadn't noticed him raise his hand at my droid, so instead of attacking the target my droid engaged me.

He fired two heavy slugs at me, the slugs of such a size would be impossible to deflect. My lightsaber (which I hadn't realised I'd activated) allowed me to move all the more flexibly. Sure it was heavier, but a weapon of such precision gave me the ability to leap greater distances and become one with my blade.

I was unstoppable.

My traitorous little droid didn't stand a chance. My mech was reckless, with each attack another four soldiers behind me perished under the plasma that I had modded the cannon with.

I jumped on him, X8 had fallen to the ground under the force of my leap. The impact shattered his cerebral interaction node. The droid was virtually paralyzed. Though he could not fire the back stabbing son of a Bith deserved everything that would come to him. Droids felt no pain, but they were programmed to react as if they did. It was true one would never really know what a droid could feel but I gutted the machine regardless. A cable was cut loose and an oily grey-back sludge spurted out from the flailing tube. His right eye blinked once brightly and the motion was followed by both pooping violently as a spark punctured the lens, breaking the Sylirian Glass.

I had wasted enough time and the Jedi General Soruxnas was gone. I sensed him, he hadn't escaped yet. It truth, he was moving fast, away then closer. He must have piloted a starfighter. Still I remembered he couldn't engage as soldiers…were…around… no, wait. I was mistaken. As I looked around the soldiers had retreated to the far side of the bridge, the cantina civil side, the loser side. I, on the cool side of the bridge proceeded to sprint for the Sleheyron's Bishop. Around me roughly six fighters swooped. The General was the first to engage in a strafing run.

I dive rolled up over the ledge and onto the landing pad. I slid under the Republic Fighter already stationed. Fighters were fast but weak, I was a man of brute and bulk. Standing I continued to run and used the Force to lower the landing ramp again. Running up I quickly banked through the hallways and took quick cut corners. Soon I was in the cockpit once more. The Bishop required little warm-up time. The shields were buffed up to 800 percent in comparison to the interceptor that Sloruxnas was in.

The Bishop ascended and I activated the upper and lower ion turrets. I loved ion. Ion was so much more deadly that frag or plasma attacks. Ion tore right through the hulls of ships as long as the shield was taken down. Usually I would have X8-10 on one of the turrets and I on the other. I would set my ship to auto-pilot. The auto-gunning sequence was slow and inaccurate. Though now that the traitorous utility droid of a co-pilot was down, I had no choice.

As soon as I reached primary ascension height a fighter brushed past the ship's Bridge screens. The radar noted eleven fighters in the sky. …now ten, the turret was extremely accurate to close range ships. Knowing how much power was in the shields I could risk flying into enemy crafts. Their shields was disrupt and their hulls would crack open. Those I missed would be shot down by the turrets. My shields would undoubtedly hold against a warship. And yes, I know that for sure. Last week I played chicken with a Mandalorian warship on the outer rim.

The auto-offensive gun turrets were not programmed to fire upon non-enemy types. I wanted that bridge gone, that would surely irritate the light sided lesser attempting to approach their ships across the bridge. Previously I had loaded all the ship's explosives into the cargo hold. For faster flying I had uninstalled all remnants of heavy missile cannons located at the front of the ship below the cockpit.

The light on the Bridge console blinked fast. Incoming message.

"Not now, Khar!"

I flew in an upwards fashion and ducked into a dive bombing formation towards the Bridge. Below I noticed the soldiers depart, they scampered off in all directions assuming their death was near. Many gave up and jumped off the bridge and I found it quite humorous that they would be falling (possibly for hours before their bodies went in to shock from the oxygen-less fall). Truth be told, there would be oxy- no, stop. Off topic. So I dive bombed. At the last second I pulled up and raised the Sleheyron's Bishop so that it missed the bridge by about four meters. Quickly I pulled down a lever on the console. I light blinked above the windscreen. A message on the light read 'Cargo Jettisoned'. Soon the ship sped up as all the uneccesary resources, droid parts, disassembled cannons, thermal explosives and Hex missiles fell from the underside of the craft and below.

After the ship picked up speed suddenly it was thrown forward. There was a strong blast from the explosion. When the ship recovered its normal speed I pulled an Immelman and returned my gaze upon the bridge. There before my eyes was a massive gap splitting the two sections of the city up. No soldiers that were on the bridge or had crossed to the landing bay had survived. Now it was time for the target.

We engaged in a dogfight. As I swooped the General my turrets had trouble targeting the interceptor. Soon enough it was just me, and Sloruxnas. He came at me from head on. A game of chicken. But I felt it in the Force, he knew I wouldn't back down. There was no competition. At the last moment he banked to the upper-right from my view. There he pulled some Republic flight maneuver and came at me from the side. It was clear he intended to brush against the back of the ship. He'd peered into my mind ever so subtly and discovered the turrets' targeting arrays were located at the back of the ship. Brushing up against them could damage the turrets inert. The target would live.

I slowed. Sloruxnas came at me so fast he had no time to stop. He hit me from the right of the ship. On impact the Republic Interceptor exploded into oblivion and with it my ship's shields were completely wasted. There was little chance he survived, there was no ship left.

I was mad.

No.

I was really mad.

I banked my ship right and cut the engines. As I fell facing the floating city I passed the civil sector and targeted two small fighters, each one refueling at the refueling stations below each city district. Beside the fuel depots were the grav wells keeping the city afloat. As I fell the turrets switched ammunition to projectile crystals, 'thins' we called them. At a rapid fire pace the crystals shredded the fighters. They exploded and the fuel depots caught fire. With the depots going aflame they exploded. The lower halves of the city were consumed, engulfed in flames. The city fell. Just under a million citizens sentenced to death.

I realised I was wrong about what I had said all those months ago. I _did _love blood. And when this city hit Taloraan's floor – no survivors…

I pulled the throttle and the thrusters kicked in. Instantly I pulled into full speed and blasted off into space. Success.

"You didn't need to do that, Jaq." Khar had said once I had kicked the ship into hyperspace and activated the holocomms.

"I did. I am an assassin, and I was given a target."

"No, you don't understand."

"I understand perfectly." I did… didn't I?

"No… please, you don't. Do you remember our oaths. We serve Lord Revan until the end of his reign. Well, his reign has ended."

What? How? This was impossible. The Dark Lord of the Sith was to be crowned the emperor of the New Sith Empire.

"What happened, Drayven? Is our master okay?"

"No. His mission was a drastic failure."

"How? What happened? Tell me!"

"He and Darth Malak exited hyperspace to the damaged Republic warship. When the small fleet stopped to examine the vessel it activated its engines and blasted off. Then the Republic invasion armada arrived. They invaded Revan's ship but Revan nearly killed all the attackers. But Malak's flagship the-"

"-the Leviathan."

"Yes, the Leviathan. Malak betrayed Darth Revan. He fired upon the Bridge and Revan died. He's gone."

My whole world unraveled around me. Revan's world had ended. And so had mine. What was this? What had happened? Where had it all gone wrong? Who do I serve?

"No! Drayven Khar, who do we serve?"

"I… Jaq…"

"Who do we serve, Khar? Who is our master?"

The hologram disappeared. For a second I was lost, confused. Another hologram flickered in Khar's place. A man stood, he was in uniform. A large series of medals striped across the breast of his jacket. I recognized the man instantly. It was Sith hero, Admiral Saul Karath. The next two words I heard still haunt me to this very day.

"I am."


	10. Chapter 9- Manaan

**Chapter 9- Manaan**

They are all children, the lot of them. About sixty were incarcerated within their little pods, I, among them. Unlike the burning force cages these were simply lined with bars. Also unlike the force cages, with a simple push of a button one could be sentenced to death by a quadrillion volts of electricity coursing through your veins. Unpleasant. At least the force cage deaths were long and painful and would give one time to get mad enough to open the cage with a Force Rage. This, however, gave no one that privilege time.

They were all crying desperately, longing to be freed. Each criminal of Ahkto City had been locked up longer than myself. These victims were merely ones who ha been sentenced to death after a week of incarceration – each also were forced to go without food. I knew, without doubt, that these convicts would welcome death when it came to them. These convicts were all malnourished and if released would wreak havoc eating any Selkath they got their hands on. The Selkath were the people of Manaan, well, not people, more… _fish_ people. They populated this water planet and built it from scratch. They were part the reason why I did end up imprisoned like this.

It was only yesterday…

The cantina music was reverberating throughout the club. It gave such a soothing feel to the den. I was sad. Khar was right about me changing, I was sadder than usual. This was odd. This was _incredibly_ odd. Since the death of Darth Revan all those weeks ag- no, wait… all those months ago, Darth Malak had taken over as Dark Lord of the Sith. Admiral Saul Karath had become the assassins' new master. To him the targets were merely materials worth sacrificing in Malak's quest for Galactic Dominance. Revan had taught us to respect the targets, they were creatures too, those who had experienced life in ways not dissimilar to us – only they died far younger. I may not have always respected the dead, but I showed them quick and painless deaths. …most of the time. …and mostly painless. …okay, always painful and long, but I got the job done!

My contemplating was interrupted by an irritating groan. A man beside me and awoken from his drunken slumber on the bench top of the bar. He groaned several times but instead of going back to sleep he merely ordered another round and began drooling on himself.

"Do you know who I am?" He asked… loudly.

"Do you know who I am?" He repeated.

But I honestly couldn't say that I did. The man was talking to me, and I hadn't realised I was staring at him.

"No, sir. I have no mother Fynockin' idea who you are. Leave me be, old man."

"Hey you, whippersnapper! I'm not just any old man, I'm the greatest duelist in the entire Galaxy!"

Oh my god. It can't be. Surely not. Could it. No. Was it. No. It really just couldn't be…

"Bendak Starkiller?" I asked almost excitedly (with a drunken slur).

The old man was shocked, he nearly stumbled back on his stool. That wasn't very Mandalorian-like. Starkiller was Mandalorian, dressed himself up in the Yellow Combat Armor.

"No, you damn Tauntaun! Bendak died along with the other on Taris. I'm the Mysterious Stranger!"

…

"… who?"

"The Mysterious Stranger! Greatest arena duelist in the Galaxy!"

I thought Bendak Starkiller was.

"I thought Bendak Starkiller was."

"Well clearly not he's dead, son! Died on Taris! He died when that Karath fella rained the turrets onto the planet and annihilated all living people! I prevailed over that loser and escaped before the Sith could kill me."

He was too old to be the Mysterious Stranger, I'd heard that duelist only battled for one day before facing Starkiller though I hadn't heard the match's results. The only old man still in the league was…

"Liar!" I shouted. "You aren't the Mysterious Stranger, you're Deadeye Duncan!"

He stopped. If he was truly surprised he would have flinched, the loner really was Duncan.

"Stop that! Look, whoever told you that's a liar. Probably one of them Sith or Republic fellas always causing trouble around these parts."

Now I was mad. I stood facing at him. I felt my face turn red hot with anger.

"Never compare the Sith to the Republic! Never!"

There was a silence. Duncan was terrified now. Then he laughed. I faced the bartender, bowed in thanks, and kicked Duncan's chair back. The long downed duelist collapsed under his own weight. As the hermit fell his jaw hit the counter and a loud crack sounded throughout the cantina. When he landed blood poured from his mouth the way it would had I stabbed him in the throat with a Black Sun stun baton. After a short few seconds Duncan realised he was being drained of blood and slipped into an unconscious state.

I simply turned to the exit and walked out with my Dark Blue cape flailing in the wind entering from the exposed doorway. Jaq, badass of the Sith.

I had arrived at the town square by the customs entrance. Fifty percent of the population were Selkath, twelve percent were Sith, twelve percent were Republic and the rest were scum of all different species. I couldn't help but notice how the Selkath believed the ran the world here, but hid behind fears that the Sith could turn around and commit genocide against the walking, talking fish people. You see, on Manaan, both the factions of Empire and Republic, Sith and Jedi were to live at peace and in harmony. Truly sickening.

Just behind me in the Cantina a Selkath was being shoved around by a clan of four Mandalorians and a Twi'lek. Must be a gang. They were literally pushing this Selkath man around until he tripped onto the floor and one of the warriors through a drink on his face. I watched in awe as the Selkath was stabbed in the chest by a newly arriving Mandalorian soldier. They were all most likely exiles. Regardless, the squid man died. Selkath were more like the Mon Calamari. The Mon Calamari at least had the dignity to be protective of their king, these blue fish people just sat and watched.

At least, that was until the authorities came. The eight Selkath officers entered the Cantina and at the first sight of a blaster gunned down the gang. The bodies fell to the floor. Soon more Selkath came, some with hoses, more with body bags. The scene played out like one of those crime show holovids.

Down some hallways and through another door I arrived at a second open area. The view here was beautiful and exposed to the open crystal blue ocean, but I was distracted. Just in front of the now open door a fight was beginning to climax between a group of Sith soldiers and a group of Republic. They waged war with words, yells and battle cries. Soon enough a Republic soldier unsheathed a blaster.

"How dare you shout blasphemous words in front of the Sith Empire!" Shouted the Sith.

"How dare you call us weak little puritans, you Bantha Fodder!" Shouted the Republic.

"Bantha Fodder? Bantha Fodder! You are all a bunch of uniformed Nerf-Herders!"

"At least we don't need to scare the Nerfs to get them to move!"

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"The leader of the Republic isn't scary. He at least has _his_ bottom jaw!"

"Cybernetics are upgrades!"

Then the arguments were split up with a blaster fire. A Republic soldier who must have been truly mad gunned down the Sith superior officer. Soon another Selkath authority group arrived at the scene and apprehended the Republic group. They showed no signs of rebellion. Two Sith boys pushed a Selkath officer out of the way and shot a Republic soldier and were too apprehended. The rest of the men were let off with a mere warning. If I had had it my way, their actions would have been punishable by death. The Selkath did not deserve the allegiance of the Sith Empire and soon enough they'd realise it.

By the end of the hour I had arrived at the Sith Base. Guarded by two Assault Droids and cameras the base or 'embassy' as the Selkath called it, was virtually impenetrable. The elevator went down one level, though I found it quite peculiar how long the ride down took. The Sith Embassy was massive in scale. The reception was kept by a woman in a red dress.

"Good evening. Master Rand, I presume?"

"No. You are mistaken. My name is Jaq, Admiral Karath is expecting me."

The woman accessed the database in front of her. After a few moments of wasteful searching she gave up.

"I have to file for Jaq, but Karath only has one appointment available."

"That'll be for me. Where is he?"

"The Communications Room, but sir, he won't be-"

"Thank you greatly. Wait, why the comms room?"

"He is not on location, please, sir, you cannot steal someone's appoint-"

"Quiet."

With that I raised a hand to motion her silent. She was silent. She knew her place in relation to I, a high ranking assassin.

"Jaq, I must ask you a question." The Admiral began over the comms. "You have been very effective in your missions, but I must ask, it's protocol you see… you are not a force-user are you?"

"Admiral, we were taught by Lord Revan to use the Force."

"Yes I know. But you merely adapt the Force around you, my question is do you actually _use _the Force, do you produce it?"

I did.

"Uh, no sir."

"Good. Good. You are a masterful assassin, Jaq. If you do gain the power that the Force can provide, it is your duty as a Sith to inform me immediately."

"I will sir. Oh, Admiral, my mission was a success."

"I heard. I have received a large number of reports that the Lookah village has burned to the ground and the forest around is still burning with it."

"The Wookiees of Kashyyyk won't know what hit them."

"Yes, I did receive a number of distress calls. Four Sith outposts have been lost in the flames. But don't be alarmed, they are acceptable losses."

"Sir, have you requested me only to reflect on my mission?"

"Negative. I have summoned you to brief you on your new mission. Likely the hardest yet. The people of Manaan are a peaceful people. Or so they like to believe. We are at war with the Republic even here where we are forced into an alliance. It is an underground war, you see, we cannot infiltrate the Republic Base though."

"From what it seems outside, this base is too quite impenetrable."

"Yes, and the Republic are too afraid to even approach the sector. There base is open, a tactic that ensures all who enter are seen. Its openness also means that the Selkath are welcome into the area. They can see everything that goes on in the base. Recently we lost a Sith Soldier who was attempting to infiltrate the Republic Embassy. Not long after a Republic Agent managed to sneak into our ranks and completely cut down all the soldiers within the base. The Selkath apprehended him but he successfully represented himself in the trials and was let off with a pardon. Then, under the Republic, he entered a submersible to the underwater labs where we sent Malak's Apprentice-"

"Darth Bandon."

"Yes. But the Agent killed Bandon with great swiftness and ease. This man is deadly and should be avoided at all costs. The only intel that we could gather on him is that he owns a ship. It goes by the name of the Ebon Hawk."

He stopped for a moment. And it didn't take long before I realised there was more to the story than he was letting on.

"You're lying."

"No. There is more information, but it is classified. The rest of the intel is only understood by myself and the Dark Lord Malak. The agent is no mere soldier…he…he is a high level asset that has the capability of killing you. _Unlike _your target. Since the crusades led by this agent the Republic now have a foothold in this war. I further request that you end the Republic's chances by eliminating the Embassy Commander. She's a Jedi. Not a Master, but a first generation relative to one on the Republic High Council. She is dangerous. The files have assured me that you are a stealth expert and thus I have chosen you. The intel will be forwarded to your ship. Dismissed."

I did not need the intel. I had the Force. I could find her.

When I arrived at the Republic Base my eyes were opened to the simplicity of the base. From plain sight in the civil courtyard outside I could clearly bear witness to the enormity of armaments and munitions piles within. Nothing was concealed, yet the whole base was widely open making it extremely tough to enter. I was a tech specialist and a stealth enthusiast. I could do the job, no worries. Once I entered past the patrolling guards at the entrance checkpoint I would have no problem in sneaking past those patrolling. Infiltration was a clear problem. So I scanned the exterior of the base. I searched for what must have seemed like hours for an entrance. But I had no luck. At the back of the base (or at least as far back in the bunker as I could see) there were three to six soldiers drinking and getting heavily intoxicated. That was my key, I may not be able to sneak past the entrance cameras or thermal detectors, nor even drunk guards – but when the guards exited the base for more drinks I could easily assassinate one and take his place. Perfect infiltration.

This time I did wait, and well into the afternoon. I waited for hours and three shift changes had taken place in that time. Still all the new guards were inebriated, but how? There wasn't a party occurring as far as I could tell from the civilian population's gossip. Confusion consumed me. Confusion was too a weakness. Where were they getting the drinks? And then I realised it. The soldiers weren't getting the drinks from the Cantina, the drinks were being delivered to the base via belts or something. The components were being transported to the outpost for later consumption. This allowed an entrance. Surely if there was a conveying connection from the Cantina to the Republic Embassy there would be another link or something. So I set out for the Cantina.

I found my entrance point with ease. In a back corner behind the bar there was a singular ventilation shaft at the point where the ground met the wall. One singular vent. Most facilities contained several pipeline systems – my best guess was that this shaft led to a massive complex of other systems. So using the Force to persuade the bartender he allowed me entrance into the shafts. I crawled in, hunched over and uncomfortable.

This vent led to another vent, and that vent led to several others. Soon I found myself confused until I came across a grate that led to a small pipeline system in the rooftops where small fluids were being transported in vials across a conveyor belt. The cantina didn't deliver to the Sith, so the only explanation was that this led to the Republic Base. Sensing my way through the correct pathways was the easy part. At one point the Force led me to another grate above the Republic Base. Beside the grate was a large sign, I translated it to Basic. It said 'Caution Trash Compactor! Do not enter!' That was smart. The Republic had clearly labeled their Trash compactors, something the Sith should adapt. It would be quite a terrifying circumstance if someone found themselves in a trash compactor with the walls closing in. I must remind myself to warn Karath of this, surely save some trouble for someone in the future.

The Republic base was easy to find. I found it through a grate when the smell of beauty and integrity overpowered my nostrils. The Light Side was corrupting. Eugh! I kicked the grate down and to prevent unnecessary noise which would inevitably announce my presence to the guards, I used a Force Push to throw the grate into water. This was a part of the base I could not see from outside. There was a large pool located in the centre of a large chamber, a submersible docked within the water.

It was an interesting sight, the architecture of the outpost was similar to the Sith Base. But I could sense her. The Jedi. I felt her as she walked down a corridor fumbling with her lightsaber. She wasn't aware of my presence. Yet she fumbled with fear, she was equipped with a large double bladed, orange crystal lightsaber. It had been modified to handle blaster fire, not other close range weapons. My advantage. Her fear, also my advantage. I could win this, and with ease. I was confident, so much so that I hadn't realised I'd already removed myself from the vents.

I was quiet and landed without a noise. In front of me was the sub and behind me, a patrol of six soldiers behind the female Jedi.

I followed. Through Force Sight I saw a light at the end of a tunnel – there was a room at the end of the hall with only one entrance/exit. That being the one she was about to use. So I ran at her. The door opened for her and she stepped in. Using the powers at my disposal I pulled the door shut behind her and threw her entourage against the walls. Behind me I pulled the doors closed with only my mind. Then I put my hand on the Lightsaber. I had grown accustomed to its superb weight and size, it suited me now if not before. When close enough I opened the door in front of me and drew my right hand back and into a fist. At first sight of her I let go of all my rage and threw my fist at her.

I only needed to clip her. If this were only a mere soldier she would have fallen unconscious with the blow I delivered, but I hit her square in the temple. She collapsed, her reflexes were good and allowed her to stand again quickly. She pulled out her lightsaber, and straight away I drew mine.

"You will never kill me, Sith."

"I won't have to."

What did that mean? Why did I say that?

My lightsaber came down onto hers and knocked her against the wall with the impact as if I had landed onto her with my ship. I was strong. She stuck at me but I deflected it and she overstepped past me. Her blade on the off side came down at me but I simply side stepped, losing balance she fell to the ground. I threw myself on her. And proceeded to strike violently and repeatedly with my weapon until hers burst. My weapon, now a part of me, lodged itself accidentally into her face.

I didn't have to. And now I knew why.

I pushed out my hand and engulfed her in Force Lightning, a feat I had never been able to accomplish in my life.

Then a piercing headache bore it's way into my skull. I saw her face. Her face, she was laughing. Then I laughed, literally. The Enchanci Combat Skills Lord Revan had provided us had allowed me to deflect Jedi Mind Games. I won.

I stopped using the Force on her and cut off her left arm with my weapon before stabbing her once in the left knee and once more in the gut. She was down.

"I won't have to." I taunted her. "Feel the pain. Acknowledge you have lost. You don't want to lose, do you."

"I…will…wi…will not…lose…to the Da…ark Side…" she struggled.

"Now _you_ don't have to. You can beat the Dark Side, by becoming one with it. It doesn't care if you lose, if you die. You are just another casualty, another number. If you accept the Dark Side, your hatred towards me; you may use the Dark Side to become stronger."

"No! No… no… n- no… I will not succumb…"

I punched her, zapped her once more. Soon some color left her eyes and was replaced by a red. The same red I had seen in the flames on Kashyyyk. The flames of success. I had won.

"…teach me." She whispered.

I stood, and used the almighty powers of the Force to heal her just enough so that she could apply some first-aid on herself. She was wounded, and with only a single arm. I had won. And I had turned her dark.

"You will find your way to the Sith Base and say that Jaq has sent you. You are turned, the Dark Jedi will be able to see that, just as much as I can."

"Thank you."

I let her leave. She was of the dark side now, though she may realise it little. I didn't trust her, but if she decided not to seek aid from the Sith her wounds would be infected by the poison of impurity and she would die. But I let my guard down, when she escaped she could only leave through the front door. Soon the soldiers saw her, as she used the Force to render the men inert reinforcements arrived to where she had last reported in. They found me. I could have taken them, but if that agent was around I would be done for. So then, as she did, I succumbed. As the Selkath came I surrendered myself to the law.

They are all children, the lot of them. About sixty were incarcerated within their little pods, I, among them. Unlike the burning force cages these were simply lined with bars. Also unlike the force cages, with a simple push of a button one could be sentenced to death by a quadrillion volts of electricity coursing through your veins. Unpleasant. At least the force cage deaths were long and painful and would give one time to get mad enough to open the cage with a Force Rage. This, however, gave no one that privilege time.

They were all crying desperately, longing to be freed. Each criminal of AhktoCity had been locked up longer than myself. These victims were merely ones who ha been sentenced to death after a week of incarceration – each also were forced to go without food. I knew, without doubt, that these convicts would welcome death when it came to them. These convicts were all malnourished and if released would wreak havoc eating any Selkath they got their hands on.

The prison cells were cold and some of the men behind me were now crying.

A door opened and I could barely move my head, but I just angled it well enough to recognize two of the fish people. My trial was to run today? So soon? Thank the Sith. But my good mood was interrupted by another familiar face. An old man who had most of his face wrapped in blood soaked Kinrath silk bandages.

"Yes, that's him!"

God damn it, Deadeye Duncan.


	11. Chapter 10- Leviathan

**Chapter 10- Leviathan**

It was time, time for my trial. I was not only ready, but excited. Sure they had my lightsaber but I it would be no trouble getting it back.

"Agent Sexy Nerf Herder Two thou-"

There was an awkward silence. I was already on trial, and the judges sat at their tables ready to read out my charges. I just stood there, smiling.

"Is something wrong?" I said finally, realizing they weren't going to speak.

"You find this trial humorous? Creating a false name for yourself in a hearing is no laughing matter?" Another judge announced.

"Oh really? I thought it could lighten the mood."

"What is your name?" Called another judge.

"Jaq. Happy?"

"Not particularily. Jaq, do you have a second birth name we can address you formally by?" asked the first judge again.

"Yes. Jaq Awesomeness."

"Well, Jaq Awesomeness, you have been charged with four counts of murder, two counts of vandalism, nineteen counts of eye witness public indecency, one count of physical abuse, one count of attempted murder… and one count of not taking a court hearing seriously."

"Are you kidding?!" I shouted in rebuttal.

"Dead." Said another Selkath who had not yet spoken. "A state you may be in if this case isn't taken with the utmost seriousness. Do you have someone representing you?"

"No your honor… _honors_… I didn't really have much time to call a lawyer, I was locked up for a day and a half don't forget."

"Things aren't looking good for you today mister Awesomeness."

"Neither are they for you." This left them confused.

Using the Force I unclipped my manacles that held my hands behind my back. I pulled down the light from the roof and using the Force shattered the glass of each one. Each shard I fired at another judge until only half were still alive. Soon turrets activated and protruded from the walls. They engaged. But I flipped back. A large shadow covered the window from the outside. Death was to come to the judges and I would ensure that they understood that. The glass window behind the judges shattered as an spray fire shot into the courtroom. A missile soon followed and everyone in the room, with the exception of myself, was terminated. This massacre would have no doubt caused a riot of some sort but was no time to discover who the pilot was either.

I ran out from the courtroom and past an office door, outstretching my arm as I ran the lightsaber found its was back to me. I took no wasting seconds in cutting down any Selkath who stood in my way. The continuous bowling down of the fish was quite a delightful experience.

As the entrance to the building opened my vision was flooded by the blinding light of the afternoon sun. I could see nothing but hear the world around me. It was marvelous, there was so much death. I could smell the fires, the ash, the burnt blood. I could hear the explosions, the debris, the cries of pain. I dare not see through the Force and ruin my image. I figured though that I had to move on, so I opened my eyes and allowed my eyes to adjust.

In front of me civilians were ducking for cover and the Republic were helping most to safety. Beside the Republic the Selkath fought. The Selkath never took sides, my assumption was that the Sith engaged in fire first. The Sith were helping very few civilians and causing more harm than good, regardless, their purpose was to defend me. Manaan had become a blood bath. Above the manifestation my ship, the Sleheyron's Bishop, hovered above the scene and gunned down any who even appeared as though they were to fire on me.

The landing ramp lowered and I moved. Around me the Bishop's guns were tearing the square to pieces. The city was falling and the revolution had begun. I ran up a large piece of debris protruding from the ground, I escalated into a sprint and leapt onto the ascending ramp. Below me scores fell to warfare, just another meaningless casualty.

I felt her presence on board. I moved in to the cockpit and discovered the Jedi I had turned awaiting me, piloting my ship. Her arm had been replaced with cybernetics. She wielded a new lightsaber and no robes to speak of – instead she wore formal dress garments. She was lovely, as spectacular as the scene below. I sat in the co-pilot's chair and gave the order to move.

"Let's get the Hutt out of here!"

"Where to?"

"Space, anywhere but here!"

She punched in a few buttons on the pilot's console, but I didn't see which one. There was no need to look at the NaviComputer, she knew where to go. With that the ship roared into action and left Manaan behind. I closed my eyes and contemplated, a recently discovered hobby of mine. The revolution was false, there would be no uprising today. The future of Manaan will be grim however and the Sith will triumph. I saw the Selkath and the Republic winning the battle, most of the city's Sith being arrested. Others secretly taken prisoner by the Republic and decimated before their eyes. The Sith would be weak after this, but… but soon… I saw a fleet of Sith. I saw an armada of Sith fleets. An invasion would transpire, the city would fall to the Sith eventually though not any time soon.

"Hello? Anyone there? Are you hurt?"

I hadn't realised she'd been talking to me.

"What, uh… no. No I am not hurt, why? Are you?"

"No. Are you sure you didn't take a knock to the head, you look pretty stunned."

"I'm alright. Where are we headed?"

She looked at her console for a minute, then at me, then at a datacron she had placed in her lap whilst I was deep in thought.

"My orders are to take you to Karath. He would like to see you, aboard the Leviathan."

"Your _orders_? You're already a trustworthy Sith then, hey?"

"I was a strong Jedi. I was _very_ strong in fact. Just because I wasn't a master didn't mean I wasn't offered. I always intended my opponents to undermine me, to underestimate me, and to belittle me. Little did I know that my opponent would see through this false mask and best me… and… and… spare me. For that you have my thanks."

"It is clear the Dark Side flows through your veins. I felt it appropriate to spare you. The thanks are not needed, I must thank you for allowing me to teach you. What is your name, Dark Jedi?"

"My name? My name is Naresha."

Naresha, a beautiful name. For the first time since I met her I realised her complexional beauty. She was gorgeous, with long brown hair and blue eyes. I did not love the girl but I felt something similar. It was a familiar feeling, yet so lost, so forgotten. A feeling of lust.

"I felt what you did," she began. "in the Force I felt you escape, but fail." It was true. I had almost completely forgotten that I had already made an escape attempt. I was malnourished and quite hallucinogenic.

"What did you feel?"

"In the Force I felt you flee, you snuck, and you killed. You brutally tortured someone, an innocent. A little boy."

It was true. I had escaped overnight, a small human boy had found me just outside the holding cells. I was curious as to why he was there, but he just stared and eventually began to wail in fear. He had ruined my attempts to escape, so I killed him. And not straight away either. I picked him up by the throat with the Force, choking him until he frothed at the mouth. He spat it up when I released, he could no longer cry. He had no energy left in him. So I decided to drain him, torture him beyond death. I picked him up by the throat once more, this time in hand rather than in Force. I squeezed until he stopped squirming. I felt him still live, the boy was faking death. So a zapped him with the Force a few times to awaken him before throwing him into the ocean. He flew far and the lack of energy and the immense amount of exhaustion prevented him from staying afloat. He sunk like a wookiee.

"I killed him, yes."

Before it was just business. I had to kill, it was my job. But now I felt grief, and guilt. These traits I had not felt since joining the academy so long ago. This left me concerned, that inner me, my past – it was all trying to claw it's way back out again. It wanted me to become Anton once more. _Anton_? No, that wasn't right. _Anter_? No. I remember thinking that I had to stop the nonsense. I had to stop thinking about the old me. I was Jaq, I would always be Jaq. And no puny little Rand was going to get the better of me. …Rand…

…

Hours passed and we were still floating aimlessly in space, or at least it _felt_ aimless. Space was just a massive void, an emptiness. We had left hyperspace ten minutes prior, there was a risk that f we had kept going we'd hit an asteroid in the field that the Leviathan had hidden itself within. The Leviathan was massive, an exception example of a flagship. The Leviathan was the beast of metal that destroyed Taris. It had left the metropolitan into a quarantined world only populated by flames, rubble, swamplands and rakghouls. It was terrifying but it was a marvel.

We boarded it, the large hangar was located underneath the base of the ship. Inside scores of Sith fighters lined the docking racks. I hadn't particularly liked the fighters, they were weak and did little damage. They were, however, really fast. It was quite an odd feeling, never since owning the Sleheyron's Bishop had I ever examined elements of a ship like I was now. It was a comforting thing having Naresha pilot the chunky ship.

She lowered the exit ramp and followed me out. She put a hand on my shoulder and stopped me.

"This is where I take my leave, Jedi hunter."

"You aren't coming?"

"No. I leave for KorribanAcademy tomorrow."

"Are you sure you can't join me? I'd quite like a co-pilot. I can request a transfer."

"No that's quite alright, I am sure we will meet again. Goodbye. And… thanks."

"Thanks."

Naresha turned and walked away and I just watched. She was my friend, my _only_ friend. I had almost entirely repressed any memory I had of Khar. Khar didn't understand me the way that Naresha did.

I turned away, too scared that if I looked back I'd shed a tear. I couldn't cry, I'd only been with the woman for a few hours and I already missed her. I didn't _love_ her, no way. But she was my friend, a close friend.

Around me there were people running everywhere. There were three corpses piled up in the corner of the hangar and smoke lined the roof. Something had gone terribly wrong. It seemed as though that there had been a battle, one that had happened only an hour ago. Using my intuitive skills I assumed that the reason the wreckage was still being cleaned was because the Leviathan had just arrived in the asteroid field. It could be too dangerous to navigate the hangar (if it were damaged) while the ship was moving through space.

I entered the elevator but was forcibly stopped. A light blinked on inside the lift. I read the words 'Error, forced stop on Level 02'. I stepped out into the hall. I was on some kind of customs level. Above me there was a small fire that had been lit. It seemed as though recently the Leviathan had been attacked – this confirmed my suspicions. To the left was the lift that would send me to the Bridge. To the right was a man, a man in customized orange robes. A man with a pale bald head and a cybernetic jaw.

Malak raised his hand and choked the customs officer in front of him. He crushed the fragile man with ease. Deciding to avoid the conflict I moved off to the left passageway. Entering the lift I set off again. I only needed to go up one more level before arriving at the Bridge.

I entered. Fire spilled out and it seemed as if a Jedi duel had occurred within this very room. In the center was Karath's dead corpse. The Admiral looked as though he had died in pain. I hadn't been in his service too long, but still, he was my master. A Sith officer approached me, I recognized him as a retired teacher from the Malachor V Academy. He likely retired, (as he survived) as rumor had it the TrayusAcademy was destroyed in a massive battle or something that took place there. The Academy was still being used, that was for sure, but it was fare smaller. The officer was in red armor of similar make to the standard issue armor that the soldiers had. His helmet was removed.

"Jaq. Karath is dead…"

"So I can see. What in the Hssiss happened here?"

"A Republic Agent came in here and murdered everyone, Karath included."

I wondered if it was the same agent that was present on Manaan.

"Who do I serve now? Am I a free man?"

"You took the oath, Master Jaq. You are never going to be a free man. Not while you serve Lord Malak."

"I serve Malak?"

"Yes, and while you serve the Master you will always be expendable. You are no more than another man with a weapon ready to do his bidding."

"What is my mission then?"

"Darth Malak has no missions for you yet, but you may carry out the orders Karath had left you. Those are to go to Nal Hutta and kill a traitor. The traitor is a Bounty Hunter who turned Jedi in the recent years while we had our backs turned. I have a mission for you, of secondary priority. You are to fly to Coruscant and eliminate Viper Platoon. They are believed to be responsible for the recent assassination for Darth Frove."

"Is that all sir?"

"Uh-"

He was interrupted by the opening of the Bridge door. In entered Malak raging with the Dark Side.

"Where is Karath?" He yelled.

The ex-teacher turned to him.

"Lord Malak, he has fallen. Revan-"

Revan? Revan is dead…

"Revan is no concern of me! Who was it that ordered a full lock down? Who isn't letting me off my own ship?"

"Protocol dictates tha-"

"I wrote the protocol!"

He punched the man in the face and then grabbing his throat threw him through the front viewing port. The glass shattered and I was pulled towards the vacuum of space. Three live soldiers (one an officer) were even sucked into space. Four wasted casualties. Malak turned to exit in a rage but stopped when he caught sight of me.

"Are you Revan's assassin?"

"Me? Yeah."

"I look forward to doing business with you."


	12. Chapter 11- Nal Hutta

**Chapter 11- Nal Hutta**

It took time, but finally I was ready to listen to Khar.

"Look, Jaq. Don't you get it?"

"Don't I get what?"

"_It_! You shouldn't be able to use the Force like this. The best the rest of the assassins could do is prevent a Jedi from entering our minds or shift an enemy lazily to the left."

"Tomen could do it."

"Yeah, and where is Tomen now?"

"Dead! Much like the other half of the assassins. But I won't die, I am skilled with the Force."

"No, you don't get it. Jaq, you never listen. It's unnatural to have this ability. That's why Tomen's gone, he could use the Force. That's why Karath asked if you could use the Force. I intercepted a message from Karath to Darth Malak a week ago."

"So?"

"Karath requested permission to reassign Tomen from the KorribanAcademy to the one on Manaan."

"I don't understand."

"Their taking the Force sensitive ones and turning them full Sith! Revan did it, Karath did it, and now Malak is too! The assassins, none of them have died. Not one. They're all alive and have been turned into Dark Jedi. They've been turned completely! They are no longer freelancers."

"When were _we_ ever freelancers?"

"You don't get it, Jaq. They are completely Sith. They don't serve the Sith, they _are_ the Sith! Like you, only they're forced. They've lost all mental thought and capability. Their morals have been replaced by orders that have been whispered into their ears by Malak."

"Khar. I am fine. I'll just refrain from telling them. Plus, from what I hear, you've been getting better with the Force too."

"Yes, instead of shifting an enemy lazily to the left I can shove them rapaciously to the right! I've given up looking after you."

"It's not your job too look after me!"

"If you don't look after yourself who the Krayt will?"

I shut off the transmission.

Khar was getting on my nerves. He claimed he was letting go, that he was going to stop pestering me. But he hadn't stopped. He tried to contact me thrice while at Coruscant. I had told him that the mission was a long one, that I was busy each time he called me. He saw right through my lies. The mission on Coruscant took less than a minute, I simply flew over the training camp and dropped a Hex missile on the training camp leaving a one hundred percent casualty rating. He called me twice more while I was on Ziost. Malak had suggested if I was awaiting missions I could escort a Sith patrol who had recovered some ancient Sith Artifacts on Ziost. Unfortunately for them, the artifacts had been hidden in a vault by the Republic. I engaged the Republic interception attack force and scared the Jedi to death, literally. No really I did!

The Bishop began its descent through Nal Hutta's atmosphere. The gasses prevented my vision out of the ship's front view-ports. The golden clouds were toxic to those who inhaled them. This planet was a Hutt, it was smelly, gassy, and extremely poisonous if you sucked in too much of it's gasses.

It descended onto the landing pad located on one of the open planes. Lowering the landing ramp and stepping onto the grass I realised how toxic the planet really was. The ground mushed beneath my boots. The grass was as golden as the rising gasses. The planet was a giant yellow ball of flatulence and it hadn't changed in the least since I'd last landed there. My mission was simple, a Bounty Hunter was being held in a Sith outpost by the landing pad. The Hunter was the target, I had to receive him and terminate him. They were holding him not in the holding cells but in a briefing area. You see, the base used to belong to her Bounty Hunter crew.

As I approached I was greeted by the sounds of blaster fire. I entered the bunker and was further greeted by the sight of four dead Imperial Agents. In the centre the Bounty Hunter, she twirled the blaster pistols towards him and sheathed them into her belt. I began.

"Ma'am, you're going to have to come with me."

"Not on your life kid. I've got a bounty to take down."

"Oh really? Maybe I could help you out."

"I don't think so. I'm taking down Nal Hutta's best hunter, goes by the name of the Kath Hound."

"Come… with… me."

"Hey, can I ask you a question? What in Revan's name made you think I was a chick?"

"Well you're…well you're…you…you uh…sorry what was the question?"

Woops.

She…uh, he fired a few blasts at me and raised my hand. The blasts impacted on my palm but ceased to exist as soon as they hit, it was the power of the Force.

"Damn it!"

She…no, he yelled. He unsheathed his lightsaber, a red one, one he had from his Sith days. He was a Sith, how could intel on him be wrong? Maybe I'd just forgotten. Anyway, he lunged and we clashed lightsabers. The green and red splashed and flashes of white caused some temporal blindness in my eyes. But when my eyes could not see the Force did the watching. The Force soon revealed the truth. He was a she. She was a she.

"Liar! You're a woman!"

She stopped.

"And you're a Force user!"

She had caught me out. In her non-sword hand she unsheathed a Rodian Death Blade and attempted to shove it into my gut. She missed and I ended up catching her wrist. She tried to plunge it in again and again. I dislodged her wrist and stabbed the blade into her gut. In retaliation she endeavored to ram her helmet against my forehead. I sidestepped and she ended up tripping forward. When she collapsed on the ground her blade was forced deeper in until it stuck out her lower spine. A fresh spray of blood from her back signaled her end. Mission success. And easy success.

I took a few minutes to recover, while the mission was only short it was still tiring. She had given me everything she had. Behind me I studied a corpse, there was still life in this one. The life was slowly draining out of him and it was not worth preserving. I fried a few bolts of electricity at him, part of a technique Revan used called Death Field. With every inch of life the man lost, I gained. I painful yet fulfilling process. A hologram appeared in the centre of the room. The hologram of Darth Malak.

"Jaq. You have been very good these last few days and in this short time you have proven yourself worthy. Worthy enough to become my apprentice."

Apprentice? I was going to be a Darth? No, the only way I could do that would be if I had the Force. Did Malak know?

"I am honored. But how can I? How can I if I don't have the Force?"

"But you do, don't you. I can feel it."

"I really don't. I can't even use the Force that effectively."

"Well, if you do, if you can best my new apprentice you can take her place."

I knew there would be a catch.

"You have an apprentice, my lord?"

"Yes, Jedi Master Bastila Shan."

"The one who killed Lord Revan!"

I didn't realise I'd said it out loud.

"…yes, that is what I wanted to discuss with you. Your next mission is going to be forwarded to the ships on your databanks. The mission is entirely confidential, your target is incredibly untrus-"

The Hologram cut out and a after some glitched flickering the image of a Hutt appeared. In front of the Hutt was a blonde Bounty Hunter, the Kath Hound. She was as deadly as the gas that came from the Hutt behind her. I recognized the Hutt instantly. It was Gherlga the Hutt, the Hutt I'd double crossed all those years ago. He spoke a language unfamiliar to me. He spoke for quite a long time and I half expected The Kath to translate. But she didn't. She looked down on me as if a lesser. I heard one word I half recognized.

"Die."

With that the windows of the outpost shut down and all technical equipment in the room froze up and deactivated. The room was going into lockdown. I felt as though I should have dove for the door, but I still felt like I had some chance of survival. I heart the smushing of feet against soggy grass followed by similar patterned running feet. Now the squishiness had become clanging, they had reached the outpost. I threw my lightsaber at the door. Eight bounty hunters entered via the door and lasted about a second before they were all instantly sliced in two by my weapon. I was unstoppable.

I waited a few seconds and power came back to the bunker. A blinking light on the main console lit up informing me that I had a new message. I figured I should ignore it, but there was a voice inside screaming for me to read it. I pressed down on three of the large red buttons on the console. A pop-up opened and I witnessed a message from the Hutt Gherhal.

I remember you. I remember what you did. I will not send my hunters after you unless you get off my planet or return my ship.

I ignored it. There was no need for me to bother considering, I needed to leave anyway. I took a step and a half outside and saw several silhouettes lining themselves up in the dead tree line. They were lining up their shots, waiting to see if I'd stay. From what I could see there were enough for me to take down. The Force told me that there were far more on the way. No need for an unnecessary fight. So I walked up the Sleheyron's Bishop's landing ramp and went on my way. I punched in the coordinates to Malachor V. It was time I stocked up on equipment.

As I ascended in to space I couldn't help but take a deep breath. Fresh air flooded my nostrils. I became dizzy with confusion from the purified oxygen that now worked its way to my head.

Why did I leave the fight? That was unlike me.

I stood from my pilot's chair ready to move to the comms room. There would be my orders. Instead something grabbed me, a hand touched down on my shoulder. A familiar hand. Naresha? No it was in the Force, and the power was far stronger. Revan? Malak and Karath were discussing you previously. Are you really dead? Still the hand held onto my shoulder. It was a woman's touch. And it made me feel warmer inside than I'd ever felt in my entire life. It made me feel light.

Confused by what had overcome me I sat. I pressed my hands onto the console and allowed my hands to type in whatever coordinates they were forced to touch. I didn't know what I was doing, but whoever was calling for me truly wanted me to see them. From here, all the way across the galaxy I could feel her presence with me. She was beautiful, it appearance and it smell. She was peculiar, someone I had never met, someone I knew so long.

I loved her…


	13. Chapter 12- Naboo

**Chapter 12- Naboo**

Naboo is a proud world, a world of farming, produce and galactic trade. While many look at Manaan as a paradise I believed that Naboo would be the place to get away. The majority of the planet is covered in luscious green hills, canyons, rainforests and waterfalls. The people are a farming people and technically at war with an alien race commonly referred to as the Gungans. Naboo was where the Force was taking me.

I soared over Naboo's conceited communities to the large rural community of Theed. Theed was no more than a village yet he had so much potential. Businessmen and women representing all the different corporations from all over the Galaxy would fly to Theed with propositions. Everyone wanted a slice of the action. Everyone wanted the future of Theed.

I landed just outside of the village, there seemed no orderly place to rest within the community walls. After lowering the ramp I set out to venture into the district. Theed was dirty with only a few houses of decent size, the rest formed by steady hands and mudbrick. As I stepped into the much I was greeted by bustling markets and carts drawn by Banthas. Around me I felt consumed by the hustle and bustle of the busy bodies of Naboo.

I was left with little clue on which direction to take, I had slept in the pilot's chair on the route here. I was comforted in my slumber by the silhouette of a woman. She was the woman guiding me here, I felt it in her soul. For the first time I heard her speak. She spoke of two things, two names. Exar-Kun and Khaylia Saretti. Exar-Kun I recognized, it was the Saretti name I had not made acquaintance with. However, Saretti was my first direction.

"Hello there," a woman began after bumping into me outside the Chieftain's hovel. "are you here to offer a pitch?" she asked me scribbling notes onto a datapad as she waited.

"Uh, no. I'm looking for someone, maybe you could help me."

"It would be my pleasure." She said as she turned away and walked towards the hut. The hut was made of mudbrick like the rest of the houses, only, this hut was large enough to be a palace. "My name's Raia Qualtrayn, advisor to chieftain Poroq."

"Chieftain Poroq? The name is not familiar."

"He is the one in charge of Theed. Everyday we have scores of corporate executives come to our little town and offer us Centillions of credits to allow the seller to be in charge of Theed's expansion."

"And it seems as though you have decided against development."

"I haven't, but _he _has."

"He?"

"Poroq. At first I was with him, I didn't want Theed to be anymore than a farming community. Now there are scores of settlers coming in monthly and we're running out of room. People want to develop and evolve Theed into a paradise, the people want a capital city for Naboo."

"Couldn't you just get him unelected?"

"The system doesn't work that way, sir, the chieftain stays chieftain until death."

"I'm sure I could persuade him to consider."

"How?"

"With death."

This shut her up. But I wanted to kill, and she wanted Theed. She thought, looking at her feet for several minutes before stating her answer.

"You have a deal. I will arrange a meeting with Czerka tonight. They will be the ones to turn Theed into a wonder, thank you very much. Listen, you _persuade_ Poroq and I'll find your girl."

I turned to walk away and then looked back at her.

"I didn't tell you I was looking for a girl."

She smiled and gave a light giggle.

"Oh please, I know that look. You're killing for love. I've felt what you feel. Now all I want is Theed, and I will have her."

Sunset came within the next few hours. Using my stealth abilities I navigated the hallways to the Chieftain's throne room. There were three guards within, I walked right between the lot of them cloaked in a stealth field. Behind the throne I waited.

I was excited more than anything, no so much for the blood but because Raia was going to allow me to find my girl. The girl of my dreams. Waiting, kneeling I came to the realization that maybe the hallucination woman was giving her own name, maybe her name was Khaylia Saretti. My thoughts were interrupted as they always were. The doors of the throne room burst open as chieftain Poroq wandered down the hall followed by many followers – all made up of corporate representatives and village people.

I peeked around the side of the throne and witnessed the plump fool Poroq. His flabby belly swayed as he approached his little royal stool. The man was massive and clearly pompous. Behind him his cohorts argued and interrupted the beautiful ambience of peace and quiet – a trait the throne room had adopted. Looking around, night had fallen and the throne room was filled with a relaxing chill.

"Quiet!" he yelled.

The throne room dropped dead in silence as the chieftain turned away and towards his people. He backed up to the throne and assembled himself. He edged his rear back against the back rest of the throne and sat.

"I said it before and I'll say it again. I will not give up Theed to business!"

He was a fat, piggy, disgrace for a human. He looked almost Gammorean.

"Why do you keep pestering me? I will never give up Theed to scum such as yourselves. Who are your bosses? Who? Are they Hutts? No doubt they are, all scummy business leaders are run by dirty Hutts."

A Czerka representative stood from above the crowd.

"We at Czerka are run under a council of hierarchy leaders. No Hutt sits as a member of the board toda-"

"Silence! Who runs the board? Hmm? A Hutt. Bet you that you didn't know that, did you. You are all blind! The lot of you is all blind!"

The snotty pig man was getting on my nerves. I stood, back arched as to stay hidden behind his seat.

"The next time Czerka approaches me- the next time any representative approaches me I'll lock down the Throne Room and kill the lot of y-"

Blood spouted from the side of his neck where I plunged the small Gran dagger. I pulled the dagger across the front of his neck with my right hand and followed by pushing his head forward with my left. His fat head fell over the blade and detached itself from its body. A small fountain of blood squirted from the large whole between his shoulders, droplets spraying on the delicately designed tapestry carpet. The body fell under its own weight and rolled off the throne at the feet of the people.

The silence stayed.

A Twi'lek working for the Exchange raised his voice.

"Wh…Wh- Who will sit the throne?"

Still there were three seconds of silence followed by a commotion in the grand hall outside the Throne Room. In stepped Raia followed by twice the entourage that Poroq had gathered within the Throne Room.

"I will."

She said as if to draw attention to herself. She wandered in gracefully, stepping over the bloodied corpse of Poroq.

"Sorry old friend, the things you do for love."

Placing herself on the throne the room built up will a large amount of yelling and arguing once more. From behind the throne I revealed myself and took place at the side of Raia.

"Silence!" She yelled, followed by a quite understandable awkward silence. "I present to you Queen Raia Qualtrayn the first of her name, Queen of Naboo. As my first royal decree, I will accept the business proposal pitched by Czerka Corporation. For four milliard credits I hand Theed's expansive industrial and economic interests in your hands."

The throne room roared to life again as more followers argued against her wish.

"And for my second decree," she began. Her words had magic in them, she again silenced the people. "I would wish to hear the Sith proposal. It has come to mine ears that you have a non-business associated dead you would like to make with me. Khai, you may speak."

I recall stepping down into the crowd as a female officer made her case.

"On behalf of the Sith Empire I would like to propose an arrangement of safety. For one thousand credits every Naboo moon cycle, we will protect you from the Republic."

The Queen laughed, understandable.

"Protection from the Republic? Like the agreement you had with the wookiees on Kashyyyk? When they refused to pay protection fees you decided to burn down their villages and enslave the natives. The only thing we need protecting from is you."

Smart. Usually the Sith would come and attack, but at this stage (and for the next few hundred years) Theed would be no more than a farming town and not worth spending any munitions on. Not even as an example. The Sith woman bowed and turned away. I looked at Queen Raia at just the right moment. She nodded towards the officer whom she called Khai. Was Khai my mystery woman, she didn't appear nearly as lovely as I had suspected.

"Hey wait." I stopped her outside the palace. "What is your name?"

"I am a Sith representative-"

"Yes, I know you're Sith. I am Sith too. What is your name?"

The woman was confused and reluctantly gave her name to me, a complete stranger.

"I am Khaylia Saretti of Correlia. Why do you ask?"

I continued heading down the steps to the village. She trailed behind me.

"Does the name Exar-Kun mean anything to you?"

"Of course it does." She replied, I had forgotten that all Sith knew the name and what it meant.

"No. What I mean is, does that have any actual significance here on Naboo?"

"I assume so. There was an old shrine commemorated in his honor. It was supposed to signify Sith importance on the world. A long ago battle with the Gungans lay waste to the site."

"Perfect. Which way would I head if I were to go looking for it."

"The shrine is completely destroyed, the battle permanently changed the mountainside where it is located. Your best hope is to head for the range itself. It is called the KipokianMountains."

"Thank you. Is there anything else I should know?"

"If you head towards the Theed exports where the waterfall lay and beyond that in that direction shall be the mountain range. It is a weeks hike and I am not quite sure how far away it is. There are about nine ranges in that direction, one is the one you're looking for. The Kipokian is the only mountain range littered with ancient Gungan statuettes. You wouldn't be able to see them from a ship, but on ground is where you are most like to find them."

I held her hand and pressed my lips on it gently. She blushed.

"Thank you for your extremely generous and kind services."

Without a second's thought I set off. I left Sleheyron's Bishop behind me. I left Theed behind me. I left all provisions behind me.

…I was growing tired by the fourteenth day. It had taken twice as long as the woman had originally told me it would. I felt betrayed, maybe I had wandered too far and missed the shrine. Had I been too busy trying to stay alive rather than die of malnourishment that I had completely missed the statuettes?

The weight over the past few days had become unbearable to the extent that I had unclipped my cloak and removed my weapon's belt. I was now without a weapon and a robe. In saying that, I wasn't exactly naked either. I was wearing some clothes, a training outfit made from material and light leather.

On this fourteenth day the rain had begun to pour. I wished I had kept my cloak, it would have kept the rain off my face. Thinking about my cloak made me realise that my blue lightsaber was gone for good and that I was never going to get that one back.

I began to run, the sooner I found a cave the sooner I would become dry. I tripped. I had stubbed my toe on a rock and as to prevent myself from sliding on the mud grabbed hold of a nearby tree. It cracked as my weight pulled it down so I was forced to pull myself to my feet. Letting go the tree flung itself away, a branch flicking across my face and slicing deep into the skin of my upper left cheek revealing the flesh beneath.

My face was stinging more than ever, purely because the rain salts where seeping under my skin on the exposed slash in my cheek. My pain was interrupted by the sounds of rushing water. I looked down as to remove myself from the bog so that I could move quick, the rock I had tripped on was in fact one of the statuettes the woman had informed me about. The rushing water would no doubt be a river, following it down would potentially bring me to a cave.

It was no river but something far better. It was a waterfall, and at the top of it the water was seeping out of a small crevice in a rocky mountainside. The mountain was hollow thus a cave was inside. I stopped and closed my eyes. I allowed the Force to flow through my mind, my eyes glowed with a passion for this deity I would hopefully discover.

And there she was. She was behind the wall of water.

Weakly I stepped over to the cliff face and began to climb until I reached the mouth of the cave hidden behind the water. Here was where the woman was. Though I could not see her I felt her presence. She had made a life here in the cave, a bunk had been made up, a personal library and other everyday living essentials. This home was paradise.

From behind a curtain a young woman entered. She had long hair of jet black, gorgeous ripples formed at the bottom as the small fragments of sunlight that entered the cave shone off her hair. She was gorgeous. She smelt like Felucian diamond flowers and was as beautiful as… as… nothing could have been compared in beauty to this divine masterpiece. She had a towel wrapped over her arm and a plate of food in the other.

She approached me and placed the warm meal on the bedside table behind the bunk. With the same hand she touched my shoulder. I felt warm, I felt also as if I had blushed. Her hand slid up my neck and onto the cheek right below the cut. She stared for a few moments into my eyes before removing her hand and unwrapping the towel. In one motion she placed the towel over my shoulders and hugged me, sitting me down onto the bunk.

She was so young, so fragile – yet she was strong and independent. She was inspiring. There was something about her that I didn't understand, something about her that made her complete. She wasn't just the most attractive woman this side of Muunilist, but just morally kind. She was… I was… I loved her. And there was no way that it could be one misinterpretation, I loved her.

But did she love me? She seemed to, the way she touched me she just couldn't resist. I had never felt this way about a human before. There was no passion, there was just pure awe… Okay, so maybe there was a little passion… or a lot.

"My name is Thalia." She began. Her voice was the most beautiful song I had ever heard. She felt of the Dark Side but a servant of the Light. She felt as though she was so good, so right that she just had to be wrong. But there was only good in her.

"Thalia Evnairis." Such a beautiful name. The name of an angel. Come on Atton, use one of your superb Attonesque pickup lines. Get her to love you back. Get her feel like you're the man of her most wildest dreams.

But I didn't say a word. I just stared at her, blushing. And she stared back, smiling. Eventually I coughed and stared at my feet. She realised that the staring back was awkward and stood to walk back behind the curtain.

"Th- Thank you, for your hospitality. You are very beautifu- kind! You are very, very kind."

She giggled and stared once more. She bit her lip. That was a good sign. They say on Nar Shadaa that if a girl bites her lip she's into you. Come on Atton, go in for the kill.

"I love you!"

You stupid son of a Bith! You are the dumbest Schutta in the whole entire Galaxy! She must think your some Fierfekking Laserbrain!

She smiled and chuckled, covering her mouth when she saw me hit my palm against my head in embarrassment. It was time to recover.

"Well, you see, saying I love you is an Alderaan custom. Yep."

"Oh really? You know I'm from Alderaan."

"Heh, uh… Well, look, now our relationship is clearly evolving. I'm learning more about you already."

She looked at me curiously.

"Our… relationship?"

Oh shoot. Um. Come on Atton, recover, recover. Answer quicker, answer quicker. God damnit think!

"No, I was… I was just teasing." I laughed awkwardly. Damn, what if it was too awkward? Would she see it as awkward and see right through my lies? I hoped not. Keep your cool man.

"Our _relationship_. Yes, I like it. Our relationship."

She turned away and I couldn't help but fist pump. Score! I looked back at her, she was looking at me still. Checking me out. I stared embarrassed and she simply giggled before hiding herself behind the curtains. I looked down to the bedside table where she'd laid the food. I was starving, it had been two weeks since I'd eaten. This girl's magic of beauty was so powerful I'd forgotten about filling my needs! And after I was done I was going to fill her needs _if you know what I mean_. …actually, that was a little sick. Come on Atton, be cool man.

We spent the next four days together in that cave. The nights grew colder with each passing day and I had grown used to her company, and her every trait. She was a Jedi, one of the Light Side. Out here I was not of the Sith, I had almost completely forgotten where my allegiance was aligned.

The first night I slept on the rocky ground and the cold forced me to spend the night in the bunk with her – I was eager for some warmth. I was eager for her. This was the time that my love for her was almost completely replaced with passion. And as the Sith always said, passion became strength. That night she cried. When I asked why she did so she replied saying that as a Jedi she could not afford to love. But she loved me as I did her. I hugged her until she calmed herself.

The same situation occurred the following night and I couldn't help but move in for the kill. I kissed her. And she kissed me back. We were young and in love. As the night grew late the Force allowed us to bond. A connection formed and we became one with each other through the almighty powers of the Force. This bond ensured our safety when we were apart.

On the morning of the fifth day together I awoke from the bunk to find Thalia gone. The previous morning my body was so much fueled with adrenaline and infatuation that I had not a care in the world when she announced she was gone. This day I felt different. I felt scared. Where had my beloved gone?

When she returned I was silent and for the first day since we had met I was not smiling. Here in her cave I felt as though I would never have to leave – in truth, if I was never so cruel I could have stayed with her there until death parted us. Reflecting on this doesn't make me feel guilty about Meetra. Technically Meetra and I are not together, but I love her the way I had felt in the past, the way I had felt with Thalia. Though Thalia wanted me and I could have her. Meetra is a love I could never have, it was just a crush. An exceedingly strong crush.

"I am Sith."

I told her as she was bent over building a fire on the cave floor. She was wearing only her undergarments, so beautiful with her hair tied back. She stopped.

"I know."

There was silence. If I a Sith, and she a Jedi we could never be together.

"I have done terrible things in my past. These things would make the Mandalorians shudder in disgust."

"I know. I know of all that you have done. I felt you sever connections in the Force and I felt you strengthen others. I watched you, you are a corruptive influence but I love you."

I was ashamed.

She continued and I left the bunk to put my training uniform back on.

"You know you're Force Sensitive." She said.

"I know. I was trying to hide it from the Sith. But now I'm hiding more than just my abilities."

"You're hiding me, our love."

"I'm hiding myself."

The fire flickered and spread over the wood. She stood chilled and covered her bare upper arms with her left arm and thighs with her right. She was sad, as sad as she was that first night we were together. I stood behind her and held her tight, to warm her.

"Everything will be alright." I assured her. "We can be together, we can beat this." I had absolute faith, but it was clear she was much less sure.

"You can't. You're a Sith! You will forever be corrupt unless you admit to me that you will change! Will you become a Jedi?"

I wasn't ready for this. I wasn't ready at all. A week ago the Jedi were a blight in my opinion. Now, I had fallen in love with one. And what she was going to make me do, she would break me.

A broken man, just like Tomen.

If I stayed with her, my dark past would tear me to pieces and I would become broken… _just like Tomen_. If I parted from her and continued to kill Jedi than I betrayed her and myself and son enough the Sith would find me and break me… _just like Tomen_.

"Please. If you love me as you say you do, give up the Sith. I will give up the Jedi if you give up the Sith. Do it for me."

She pulled off the training uniform I had been trying to fit myself back into and pleaded again.

"Give me a baby and I will excuse myself from the Republic. We can be together in paradise. If you can't bear a child then we may live in passion. Give up the Sith."

She looked into my eyes, into my soul. I was ready, ready to give up everything for her. For the first time in my life I had won – I had gotten the girl and everything was working out. I turned away.

"I'm not ready yet. Give me until sundown and I will resign. You and I will be together in paradise. I love you."

"I love you too."

A heard a small bleep that seemed to come from the breast pocket of the training uniform. Thalia had crouched down by the fire and warmed her palms to the beautiful flickering of the heat. I kicked up my uniform off the floor and pulled out what seemed like a datacron. I pressed down on the button and a hologram appeared. They were the mission details for the assignment Malak had given me so long ago back on Nal Hutta.

I pressed down on the button again and an image appeared. It was Naboo. I pressed it again and a mountain range appeared. Again and it revealed a robed woman. A final time and the name Thalia Evnairis blinked. Caution, expert of Jedi Mind Tricks.

As I read my heart stopped. Was she using me? No. She couldn't be. I shook, rage filled my soulless carcass of an exterior. How could she? She must have felt it too. In the space of one split second I used the Force to open a chest located at the far end of the room. A vibroblade was pulled out and found its way to my hand. At the exact same time this was happening she jumped up and her yellow crystal lightsaber from under her bed and found its way to her hand. We turned around at the same time and our weapons clashed.

I could see her pushing hard, as hard as I was. A tear trickled down her face. She betrayed me.

"No. No Atton this isn't you."

"Of course it is!" I yelled, teeth exposed and gritting. She had betrayed me and was trying to kill me.

"I love you."

"Liar!"

"No."

"You are with them! You brought me here to kill me."

I pushed the blades upwards and pushed her down to the ground with my arm. She sat in the corner, the lightsaber had fallen somewhere but I had no clue where. I didn't care. She crawled up in the corner, eager to get far away from me.

"You would turn against me?" I roared.

"No. Please, Atton. Who are you? You are Atton Rand. You are my friend, my partner. I love you."

"You do not love me."

"Atton, who are you? Say your name. You are Atton Rand of Alderaan. You are a good person. Say your name, please." She cried.

I lowered the vibroblade. Thoughts plagued my mind. I couldn't get sorted out.

"I…I.."

"I love you. Come on, tell me your name."

"My name is… It's… It is A… A…" I stopped, my thoughts collected. "My name is Jaq."

With the declaration I lunged at her blade in hand.


	14. Chapter 13- The Old Shrine

**Chapter 13-** **Old Shrine**

It was truly beautiful. Everything about it was absolutely gorgeous. It shone as the sun did, it sparked like love. The blue Force Lightning spread from my fingertips and through the body of the screaming, young, half naked excuse of a woman at my feet. As the electricity consumed her, her skin split in small places and bled ever so slightly. She was ruined. I electrocuted for just under an hour. By civil standards she'd have died but the love within her allowed her to stay strong. The love inside me for this girl allowed me to stay strong and not let down this field of death that I was producing.

I stopped and withdrew my hand. She flopped and gulped for any breath of fresh air she could grasp. She looked like a fish out of water. It was amusing. Then sad. Extremely sad and quite a terrifying sight. The girl was sitting, trying not to cry. If she cried, then she would surely lose all breath and pass away. I stopped. What was I doing? What had I done? Why? What? I couldn't afford to be Jaq anymore. I was Atton Rand.

I dropped down beside her and hugged her. I tried to pull her up onto the bunk but still struggling she pushed me aside. How could I have done this? I stood and stepped behind the curtain. How could I? This was a moment I would never be able to afford to walk away from. I came from back behind the curtain. Thalia was now sitting on the bunk taking deep breaths. She looked at me and her scared expression turned into a smile. How could she manage such a feat when her own boyfriend just tried to murder her?

"It's okay. I trust you." She said, most likely reading my thoughts.

"How can you? All I saw was that you were an enemy to the Sith Empire. You weren't even that big of an enemy and only appeared late in the roster of murdering that I have been fulfilling my entire life!"

"No, Jaq was the murderer. You are my little Ewok, Atton. I love you, and most of all I trust you."

"But I don't trust me."

She stood. Thalia had recovered from my attack, my outburst of Sith rage and approached me for a hug. She was so strong. The hug was her way of informing me that time would be the key of success to our relationship. I looked down and she looked up at me. She placed her right hand on my chest. What was she doing? Should I move in? Should I grab her right thigh and lift her leg up to me? Was she- My confusion was replaced with darkness.

I found myself suspended in a void, a void of complete blackness. Coming at me fast was a large blue wave of water. The wave stretched as far below me and as high as I could see and seemed to be completely flat vertically. As it came near I discovered that it was not water, nor bacta, nor kolto. It was the Force. The massive wall stopped suddenly right in front of me. I placed my hand on it and suddenly I was thrown back in the real world.

A lifetime seemed to have passed there yet I awoke still looking down upon my Thalia.

"Congratulations Atton Rand, you are now a Force user. No longer are you Force Sensitive, but one who can use it to as many lengths as myself."

Using strange abilities she had used all her Force to force the Force right out of my seemingly Forceless Force-sensitive body.

"What did you do?" I asked her.

"I just told you. You can do far more with your powers now."

I couldn't go back now. If I returned then that would mean I had failed my mission. If I returned then Malak would notice my new abilities for sure. He would turn me for sure, indoctrinate me into some mutant Dark Jedi abomination. This power wouldn't stay with me forever, it would disappear once more before my master, Meetra, brought it back to the surface all those years later. This untold power would disappear the day I said goodbye to Khar for the last time.

"This practice, this forced evolution of power – it is a practice forbidden to all Jedi. I'm not supposed to do it, but to show you I love you I am giving up the Jedi code and becoming a free person. Soon I will travel to Coruscant and give up my lightsaber. They will surely exile me but I will take my leave here on Naboo… with you."

"I love you."

I loved her. The thought of love was a dangerous one. As I closed my eyes and pictured my future I saw Revan. He approached me on Malachor very much alive and stabbed me in the gut with his lightsaber. As I collapsed, in my dream, I saw Thalia. Revan arrived at the cave to meet the eagerly awaiting ex-Jedi. He picked her up with the Force and snapped her neck.

I snapped out of it and saw that Thalia had let go of me. She was still standing there in her undergarments now making the bed. She was beautiful. She was strong, but Malak was stronger. If the Sith ever found out about me, the _new_ me… if they found out about _her_, they would unquestionably torture her. They would break her and make her one of them.

Anger swept over me. They couldn't do that to her. I wouldn't allow it. I couldn't allow it. They won't. They won't change her, they can't hurt her. I had to save her. I had to kill her, because I loved her. That was what I thought, but really: it was because I loved her that I ended up killing her.

"No!"

I reached out with the Force and her lightsaber appeared in my right hand and activated. I leapt towards her and as she turned I plunged her golden crystalled lightsaber through her chest.

"I'm sorry, my love. Forgive me." I said to her.

Her eyes were wide and she struggled to breath, struggled to speak. But as she fell onto the bunk she pushed out her last breath that formed her dying words.

"We could have…beaten… it. I… I'm sorry. I will…always…love you…"

Soon all the life faded from her as she slipped into death in my hands. I rested her comfortably on the bunk. She looked so innocent.

At this point I was unsure whether it was Jaq or Atton who had killed her, who was I now? Was I a Sith or a smuggler?

I turned when an overwhelming sickness came into my gut. I threw up in the corner. I couldn't handle it. She was gone, my Force bond was now broken and a part of me ceased to exist. My love had fallen and it was because of me. I was sick again. It was because I was Sith that I had to kill her, they were going to do worse. Because I was Sith, Jaq murdered his one true love. Why did she love me? Why did she love _him_, Atton? Or was I Atton. I threw up a third time and struggled to find breath. If I wasn't a Sith, than she wouldn't know me and bring me here. We would never have met and she would still be alive. I was a monster, and the Sith had allowed me to become one. No, the Sith encouraged this. They made me Jaq.

I was angry. Angry at the Sith. But as the final splinter of live Force left my love's body, the anger died with her. It was her lost hidden request, the bond she had allowed her to remove the Dark Side from me. Thalia had killed Atton… or at least fatally wounded the Schutta.

Her lightsaber flickered off. I grasped it tightly in my hand. I would keep this as a memento. It would act a token of our love but a reminder of a past worth forgetting.

I approached the dead body of Jedi Thalia Evnairis. I was fully clothed in my combat training gear. She was so innocent. I felt no regret in killing her, at least not yet. I leant over and kissed her forehead lightly her eyelids already closed.

"Goodbye, my love."

I faced the cave mouth, water still ran over the edge. All purity in the world ceased to exist yet nature continued on. I looked at my feet where the fire was still ablaze. I waited a moment and considered the consequences of my future actions (a trait Jaq never would have considered). I picked up a smouldering log piece and placed it on the bunk beside her. Facing the mouth of the cave I ran through and leapt at the last inch of rock that lay at my feat. I flew through the sky and landed on the land at the rim of the lake at the base of the waterfall. Fire spouted out of the cave, her legacy only existing through me. The flames desperately tried to escape the scene but there attempts were constantly being cut off by the rushing flow of the waterfall.

I was done. The Sith had succeeded in breaking me as I had feared. Though they had only done so subtly and through the powers of another Sith agent. The Sith had killed me through Jaq, _Jaq_ had killed me. Now it was time to get payback on them, but I wasn't going to do it the evil way. Oh no. I was going to simply resign, by blowing stuff up and walking away in slow motion. I was going to resign the Atton Rand way… in style.


	15. Chapter 14- Sleheyron's Bishop

**Chapter 14-** **Sleheyron's Bishop**

I had the ship on route to Malchor V. Somehow it had only taken two days to work my way back to Theed, so I began rethinking how long it may have _actually_ been getting to Thalia in the old shrine of Exar-Kun. Malachor was on the other side of the Galaxy and I had a real long time to wait. From Malachor I planned on visiting the Sith Academy on Korriban to finish some _unfinished_ 'businesses'.

I had worked out the perfect hyperspace route from the two planets, that shouldn't be quite as long a ride as the one I was partaking in now. It was a special skill I had, I could memorize things better than… well… better than the wisest Jedi on all of Coruscant. It was a skill I'd been training up. Back at Theed I had tried to speak to Queen Raia, but she was busy ordering her subjects around. She had Dark Jedi around her, two who I sensed were planning to meet with the Sith operative who had informed me where the shrine was. As a habit most Dark Jedi got used to peering into the minds of all the people in the area, it helped them locate a target. I turned to my ship and began considering different hyperspace routes to get to the Trayus Academy of Malachor. As I did so I felt one of the Jedi try to tear my mind open, but thinking of something as complex and insignificant as Galactic trade or hyperspace routes blocked off all entrances into ones mind.

It had been a half hour since I had engaged lightspeed. I worked out that a bad smell was going throughout the cockpit and immediately set out to work out what it actually was. Turned out it was me. It had been a long time, about three weeks to be a little more exact, since I had had a proper shower with fresh water. I removed by dark blue robes there in the cockpit and wandered the halls of the ship butt-naked. There was something odd about being naked in my own ship, and I'm not just talking about walking over vent shafts with the wind blowing. I was free for the first time since I first met Revan on Nar Shadaa all those years ago. Really, I could decide to forget about going back to Malachor and disappear into the unknown space. I really was free.

I walked into the shower room and turned the taps. Steaming hot water burst from the showerhead and down my back. I always preferred it warmer – I liked it hot, as I used to say. As the water washed off the dirt, most of my grief flowed with it. The grief of losing Thalia…

Thinking of her…

I remembered her every feature, her every beauty…

Her long black hair, dark blue eyes, slender arms, soft skin…

My gut tightened but I resisted throwing up. I braced myself on the wall with my right hand and held my stomach with my left. I couldn't do it. Together we were going to take on the Galaxy. Together everything was going to be okay. We were only together for a short time, but I had known her for my whole life as it seemed. I loved her.

Tears dripped down the sides of my face.

I couldn't control it, I shook with sadness. This had been the first time I'd cried since leaving Alderaan behind me when all I wanted to do was become a smuggler. I cried. Come on, Atton. Don't be such a baby. This was when in those chick-vids the other best friends stood up and said, 'don't worry bro, cry it out.' Stupid holovids. Every thought of her nearly killed me. Every time I pictured her I felt as though I'd felt a heavy blow to the gut. Soon enough it became unbearable and I found myself lying on the floor of the shower wondering why my life had taken so bad a turn. I trusted Revan, but the son of a blaster tricked me and ruined my life before my own eyes.

I stepped out of the showers, the water still running. I was in such a bad place I couldn't be bothered getting dry. The Bishop had a timer, after a certain time with no one in the room the taps would switch off and the water would stop running.

I loved Thalia. Why did I have to kill her?

I stepped into the cockpit once more and instead of slipping on my clothes sat in the pilot's chair. I had lost all state of mind. I was broken beyond all possible saving. It took a while before I realised that I was in fact still naked. I proceeded to remove my clothes from the room and place them in my quarters. The Sleheyron's Bishop had enough room for a crew of six, but only I populated it's empty halls. I was alone. There were perks of being alone, I could lounge around the ship naked. But that got boring after the first few minutes and I proceeded to place a Dark Jedi Master's robe on.

I studied the navicomputer. I was too sad to sleep and to bored to do anything. So instead I stared down the navicomputer until something appeared. And something did. A red light blinked over the image of Dantooine. I pressed down on it and another window appeared in red stating 'Error.' Last time there was an error on a planet I had to update the map. So I did, and four minutes later Dantooine's error message disappeared but was still red. I pressed down on it again. Another window popped up, instead of 'Error' the message 'Purge' appeared.

How interesting.

I wandered over to the pilot's seat and looked at the program window. I searched through the files and new information appeared. Apparently the JediAcademy landing pad was wiped from the map and the new Khoonda landing pad had been neutralized. What had happened? Surely if it were destroyed it would be the Sith, but not even the Sith would sacrifice so many Jedi young and old for Galactic domination. No, it had to be the Malachor storms.

The space storms around Malachor V must've been playing hell with the tech on board. …but we weren't near Malachor yet. Yes, I could expect some miscalculations by the ship a little closer to home but not while we were this far from the Academy.

Leaving the subject alone I decided to continue upgrading the engine. The upgrades I wanted to chuck on were to prevent further route errors with Malachor. Recently the storms over the planet were far stronger and often intercepted signals with my ship.

I fixed the engines with heaps of travel time to spare. I could play pazaak. Where are the pazaak cards? Are there pazaak cards? How are there now pazaak cards on board? Wait, don't tell me. Has it seriously been that long since I last played pazaak? I remembered playing it like it was yesterday, I wasn't just good at pazaak. I _was_ pazaak.

I needed pazaak.

No, you don't understand.

I _need_ pazaak.

Then it hit me. "Pure Pazaak." I said out loud, (that's a lot of pazzak in such little time).

Play pazaak in your head. So I did. I had to teach myself of course. And I couldn't really _play _the game in my head so instead a practiced playing the game while counting cards. It was amusing for a while. I remembered all that stuff about stopping Jedi Mind tricks – Thalia hadn't used them. Deep down I knew that she hadn't. But I killed her anyway. See she died, since _Jaq_ died I had been slowly losing my ability to use the Force. I couldn't use all those Enchanci mind blockage things, instead I had to start counting cards. Over the course of the journey I would try other things such as list off engine sequences, recite hyperspace routes, picture myself opening and closing a plasteel container for hours until the container exploded, I'd count the ticking in the power couplings and I'd recalibrate the destination routes even though they were already accurate. It kept time going, and it would in time prevent submission of thoughts.

…switch the face of the +1/-1 card, the totals are nine-ten. Switch the face of the +2/-2 card, the totals are eight-eleven. Switch…

And now I was bored.

No. I was really bored.

In my quarters there was a corrupt holovid that had been sent to me while I was with…with Thalia… I wasn't able to read it as there was pretty much nothing left of it. So I decided to put my mind to work and tasked myself to fix it.

I approached the holoprojector on my bedside table and opened the back of it with a hydrospanner I had in my drawer. Why would I have a hydrospanner in my drawer, you ask? Because I'm Atton Rand, that's why!

After fiddling with some faulty wiring, a minute later a message popped up. Instead of the usual blue image on the message giver, there was just a red glow. I hadn't repaired the visual so I had to rely solely on sound.

"Jaq, it's Khar." The message began. "I'm on Malachor now, all my missions have been suspended, as have yours. Something's happened…"

All targets suspended? Did Malak know? Did he know about _her_?

"… yeah, well the Academy has fallen. Malak is no longer in control of us and we have been taken over by a Sith Lord Darth Sion."

Sion? Who was Sion? Was that the one they called the Lord of Pain?

"He's making us where new Assassin uniforms now. They're like black robes with red goggles. He's not such a bad leade- No, that's not what I wanted to talk to you about. A woman came to the Academy two days ago, that's why you haven't been hearing from me. She… she did something. She was old and wise and claimed to be the rank of Sith Lord though none of the other assassins recognized her. She came and brought the storms with her. The storms have spread across all of Malachor, not just the savage lands. And now the savage lands have stretched as far as right out side of the Academy. Storm beasts are infiltrating the Academy and we are in lockdown. When you get this, when you come home land in the interior docking bay."

The whole program had gone to hell. While I was away the Jedi Academy had been destroyed, Malak had lost control of the Assassins, Lord Sion had been our cult, the Trayus Academy had been overrun. What was happening with the world. Maybe nature didn't flow on since her death… _her_ death…

Still the red light filled the room, unusual considering the message should have ended. Then my confusion was replaced with fear and horror. A woman appeared, a Dark Jedi. She was young and slender in appearance.

"Jaq? My name is Bastila Shan, I am the representative and apprentice of Darth Malak."

I knew this woman instantly. She was the one who had killed Revan all those years ago, the databanks were filled with intel on her. Malak had a personal vendetta against her and her crew. I assumed he had successfully managed to turn her.

"My intel states that you received this message six days ago. Today I arrived at Rakata Prime, the Temple of the Ancients is where I am contacting you from."

Temple of the Ancients? I thought that was on Lehon.

"I have managed to intercept this message with a warning. You are in grave danger, everything you have been led to believe is false. If my plan here fails, if I fail in adopting my new master and rising against Malak than I suggest you retire from being what you are, from being an assassin. I have never seen you, only your dossier. If you truly as strong and cruel as you file suggests and I succeed in killing Malak or fail in persuading my new master, I want you to be my apprentice. I know what you are, you are a force user. I felt it, so did Malak and from the second Lord Revan met you he knew too – he knew what you would become. If you receive this message, I would like a reply. I don't have long as my ship, the Ebon Hawk is arriving from Korriban soon and if you don't contact me soon I fear I won't be able to accept your call…"

What?

What was that all about?

So on top of all the things falling apart for the Sith, someone was planning on betraying the current Dark Lord of the Sith and offering me the choice to join them…

No.


	16. Chapter 15- The Void of Broken Hearts

**Chapter 15-** **Void of Broken Hearts**

It was all a joke. Did they really think that after all they put me through, that they could just play games with me? They didn't want me as a Lord? It was all Boma Schutta! No, no… I couldn't allow this. No! Like it had so many times in the past, anger boiled up inside of me. But I wasn't _that_ kind of angry. I was Atton angry. I was damn pissed off, I was.

I rushed out of the Bridge and ran like crazy towards my quarters. I didn't even look inside the room, I just raised my arm and her lightsaber appeared in my hand. I activated it and immediately began hacking everything on board.

I sliced at walls.

I sliced at pipes.

I sliced at cables.

I sliced at consoles.

I sliced at the engine.

Soon rooms of the ship were lockdown as fire had burst within, there were some other areas of the ship in lockdown as the vacuum of space was exposed within. The ship was destroyed, above the outer hull small explosions blew off the freighter's lining so that fire leaked lightly off the ship before disappearing with the thinness of the air in open space.

I sat, meditating in the center of the ship's briefing room.

I was Atton Rand, and hell the Sith were gonna pay.


	17. Chapter 16- Tomb of Jaq

**Chapter 16-** **Tomb of Jaq**

Malachor V was a hell hole. It was my lease favorite place in the whole Galaxy. It had been the true cause of all my inner turmoil. Here they changed me, here _they_ made me into a weapon. If I had the ability to, I would destroy this dump. Funnily enough, my mission at the moment is to do exactly that. Meetra's mission is to rebuild the Jedi Order and destroy all that remains of the Sith.

I was back in the pilot's chair (or what was left of it after my rampage). As the Sleheyron's Bishop descended from the stormy black clouds and dodged the deadly green lightning I witnessed the monstrosity that had become of the world. Beneath me thousands of Storm Beasts roamed. Each one had the ability to take down scores of Dark Jedi masters. These weren't the weak trained ones but the wild and hungry ones. Occasionally every few miles I found a small pack of three or four Sith Jedi trying to hold their ground against the surrounding endless waves of abominations. Their deaths were inevitable the way I saw it. And I felt nothing but guilt for them.

The TrayusAcademy came into sight. It had changed since my last visit, the mountains had torn away to reveal an architectural marvel. This place was truly Sith, one could easily mistake it for being the birth place of the Sith. Below were the ruins of a Sith warship, it had been beaten up badly by Mandalorian guns likely from the battle of Malachor V. It had become encased in rocks and was likely inaccessible.

The ship was of no concern to me though, the Academy was in sight. Many storm beasts were approaching it as the Trayus Assassins and guards protecting the establishment fell back. It was sickening watching the Sith leave men behind, or to use others as bait. That _was_ the Sith rule though, every man for themselves and sacrifice the weak. By now the Sleheyron's Bishop had flown over the structure and was now over the Trayus Core. I had been here once before, the final of the trials was based somewhere below and around the core. It was a beautiful masterpiece, and in our education we had not been taught who it was that had built it. Large spiked teeth protruded from the ground in a circular shape, a large red eye sat in the centre. It glowed with the Force. I assumed the centerpiece was made from a gem or something.

Within a short amount of time I arrived at the TrayusAcademyDockingBay. It was small, but was filled with aircrafts seeing as the savagelands had overthrown all of the other landing pads. As I lowered the ramp I sat in the cockpit and wondered. What if they could tell, what if they realised I was no longer Sith? Like in the hangar of the Leviathan, it was overpopulated and there were many people bending over backwards just trying to prevent the academy from sustaining a complete collapse.

The bunk room was as it had always been. Unlike the rest of the _new_ academy, the bunks still resided in a mountain and the walls still resembled that of cave walls. The brown-red rock walls always reminded me of Korriban. I found my bunk with ease, still remember where it was. There was a small sign on the rock wall behind my bunk reading 'Jaq'. Once it had read as 'Atton' but the malraas Garm had vandalized it. At the end of my bed was the old silver footlocker. I gave the lid a light kick and it popped open. Inside was everything. Inside were my boots, my dual blasters and my ribbed jacket. _My _ribbed jacket. I began removing my blue cloak when Drayven entered.

"Atton," he began. "You didn't tell me you were coming. You didn't reply to my message."

"I didn't get it". I said as I began removing items of clothing and replacing it with those within the footlocker. "Someone by the name of Shan intercepted the message and sent me a new one."

"Shan? That's Darth Malak's apprentice."

"It is. So how have things been? I notice the academy's changed. And I _did_ actually get your message, but not long ago."

"Not much else has changed really." He said as he began thinking to himself.

"What's this about us coming under new management?"

"Oh yeah, Sion."

"What happened to Malak?"

"He fled, he took a fleet and his apprentice to the unknown regions. Malak briefly said something about a forge of some kind and if any of us wanted to join him to bring glory to the Sith we should follow."

"And did you?"

"No! We're assassins, we assassinate. We don't march into battle and fight in wars, we do skirmishes. The rest of the Sith believe that they will all die, and because communication is so bad the new Sith Empire is being built without them. It's unlikely we'll find out what happens to Malak for a few more weeks. If we find out from Malak, good. If we find out from anyone else or don't find out nothing, then he failed his mission and will die."

The Sith were so complex, I thought to myself as I tied up my boots (the last of my clothes). Maybe there was a way to escape from it all, it wouldn't be like fleeing. It'd be more like escaping…forgetting.

"Hey, Drayven."

"Yeah?"

"Do you remember that memory extraction technique Tomen used to talk to us about?"

"Yes…"

"Is it possible to do it to yourself?"

"What? Why?"

"Drayven old friend, I want to forget the Sith. I'm resigning."

He stopped, shocked. Drayven Kharr fell back and knocked over the plasteel container beside his bed.

"R…Resigning? Why?"

"You were always right, Drayven. The Sith are not good for me. I have to move on."

He regained his balance and rolled his eyes.

"I understand, look, you're just mad. Did you fail in killing your target? Is that why you're angry, Jaq. Did she esca-"

"No!" I yelled. "She did not escape! I killed her! I killed her! And don't you ever call me Jaq ever again, I'm Atton now! Atton! I'm leaving the Sith and you can't stop me!"

"You can't be serious. I know I said you had to watch out, but this puts a damn target on your back!"

"I can, watch."

I dropped on my knees and placed both palms on my temples. I pushed all the Force I could into my empty skull. Malachor V, the Sith – I wanted it all out of my head. This process was a delicate one and Drayven knew that if he touched me he ran the risk of leaving me brain dead. I couldn't do it all, though. Not only was I not strong enough but the planet was refusing to let me forget. In the end I repressed all memory of the world I walked. The Sith stayed strong in my mind, and I realised that I did still actually remember everything. Slowly the knowledge dripped from my mind and I was forced to hurry if I was ever going to do what I wanted to. If I didn't hurry, then I'd lose all knowledge of the planet I was walking on.

I turned away from him and left the bunks behind me. I left my friend that day, the man he was I would never see again. Karma works like that I guess. He was only being nice to me to help me, but I was blinded by the Sith and could not see that. Now, he was being a son of a blaster because I had gotten better; here, there was no middle ground. As I left him behind I held tightly a thermal detonator in my hand.

I still remembered the people, the Sith teachings, the power. I wasn't strong enough to completely repress everything in my head. In time my memory would return to me and I would, in theory, remember everything about the world but its location. In space location was no more than a number, a set of coordinates.

I arrived at the weapons cache in the academy. It was unlocked and console records showed that it had not been accessed in just under a year and a half. Perfect. I opened the massive barred doors and entered. Inside were a series of vaults that led to the 'personal stashes' of weapons and demolitions. From here one could observe and control their weapons but could not get access to them. From here I could flick a switch and twenty thermal detonators, two ECD detonators, a poison grenade and fourteen thousand frag grenades. I also had access to seventy thermal exposure tanks that could explode on mass scale if fired upon.

So I flicked the switch and sent all the munitions to my room. They would drop through a chute and travel via a belt to by bunk room, specifically below my bed. There was a small chute at the end of the bedroom for item collection. Inside that chute I dropped a timed thermal detonator before Drayven had entered. In twenty hour hours the detonator will explode and send all my munitions with it. This would be enough to obliterate the whole sector of the academy. Even better, if I was really lucky, the flames would travel through the belt vents to the weapons cache and blow up everyone else's munitions. This, in theory, would cause chaos for all Sith everywhere.

I thought, 'Yes. This'll destroy the new Sith Empire before it even starts.' Oh course, over the coming years I would discover that I would be very wrong about that statement. Malak's Sith fleet would fall and the very few survivors would return and join the new Sith Empire. I was odd, Malak's Empire was dark and cruel but Sion's Empire was way worse. If Malak's was to kill an innocent village elder, then Sion's would be to slit the throat of the Elder and watch as the droplets splash against the faces of her grandchildren before you decapitate half of them and train the rest to use the Dark Side so that one day they could do the same.

When the bunkhouse blew up the next day, I wondered if there was anyone who survived the first trial of Jaq's tomb.

The Bishop was waiting for me after I returned from the weapons cache. I still held the second thermal detonator, I would be using this later. Large beads of sweat cascaded down my forehead as slowly my mind ached and I lost control of my memory. Around me I forgot the world, then I would learn it once more before forgetting it entirely. I was becoming brain dead, I had to get off Malachor before losing consciousness or I'd be another fallen casualty to the trial of Jaq's tomb.

I launched the ship and punched in the destination for Korriban. The world around me faded to black and I was forced to rely on sound. My Force Sight had left me and I was not entirely sure what to do. I felt around the keyboard and deleted my navigation history so that in the future I would never have to come searching for this place. Then I was thrown off the chair. I assumed it was my body going into sleep, but I heard a loud crack of thunder and made the guess that a large bolt of Malachor Lightning had pierced the hull. If indeed it did, then space would kill me. I tried to open my eyes, tried to stand and move but I was too weak. My memory wipe was far too overpowering and slowly I drifted into a deep, dark sleep. The last thing I felt was the jerk of the ship as it entered hyperspace.

Malachor V, it built me. No, it built _him_, it built Jaq. And in a matter of hours I would awaken with no memory of the world but the memories of a plan I had placed so deep in my mind that I would never forget. I had hoped Malachor would never again come into my life. I was wrong. Now I can remember it clearly, what it was like. That was so long ago, it's probably evolved for the worst now. I can see it, but I can't find it.


	18. Chapter 17- Korriban

**Chapter 17-** **Korriban**

I arrived at the Korriban Sith Academy in Dreshdae in the late evening. The sky was a light orange as if it were sunset. The Korriban sky was always this colour. It made the planet feel warm even on the rare occasion when snow fell from the sky atop the highest peaks. I had awoken a few minutes prior to landing with very little recollection on what had transpired. I remembered every thought that had gone through my mind and I had recalled mind wiping myself, what I wiped and why. I couldn't remember the specifics like how the planet looked or what it was called.

I headed through the ship to the landing bay. I was surprised to find the hull had torn open in three spots throughout the central chamber and the comms room was in lockdown as fire was spilling from the walls inside. I was also surprised that I had survived the trip with the vacuum of space pulling my ship inside out. They were likely from the storms…the storms… what storms? It was a thought I recalled, the first of the clues that would eventually lead me to remember the world I had worked hard to forget.

An officer in grey Sith uniform greeted me in the small town by the docking area.

"Greetings, welcome to Dreshdae. Do you have a learning permit?"

"No, but I am Sith. I would like to locate something I have lost. I would like to find a Sith acolyte attending here, she goes by the name Naresha."

"I'm incredibly sorry but I must ask your name in return."

"Of course, Atton Rand."

"I'm sorry. We have to records for that name."

"I go by another name… Jaq."

"No, that has been removed too."

Damn, the Sith must have found out that I was no longer working for them.

"I am very sorry, Mr. Rand, but there is nothing more I can do. Even if you were Sith on the databanks you would not be permitted in to the DreshdaeAcademy grounds."

"Why not?"

"There has been a… massacre constructed by traitor Yuthura Ban and another acolyte. That's all the information I can find you without risking the removal of my head."

I nodded and headed intercity. I believed it only right if I attended the Pazaak Den, so I did. There, are a few games and shots of 'Bloody Zillo' I was approached by an acolyte of the academy. She was Cathar and seemed to know Naresha.

"You're the one looking for Naresha are you not?"

"Yes, why?"

"You do not have to worry, she left a week ago to hunt in the mountains with her friend. The two are likely still up there, they undoubtedly survived."

That was a relief.

"Thank you very much, trainee. So what actually transpired here?"

"An acolyte's trials took him deep into the final tomb test. When he emerged Ban announced that she had risen to the light side of the Force. The man crazily screamed he was the bringer of all justice and purity. First Yuthura engaged and then the man killed the rest. Now that master Uthar Wyn in dead we have no choice but to seek a new master."

"Who will it be?"

"You'll have to ask the officer by the Dreshdae gate into the academy."

I nodded and headed deeper inside. I passed many areas, most containing dead bodies of troopers, slaves and acolytes. It was the Sith way for an acolyte to feel the need to prove themselves by slaughtering a few innocents – not only was id despicable, but embarrassing. Further past the markets and the cantina I found the exit of Dreshdae.

Outside the air was warm, but a cool and chilling wind swept over me. The doors to the academy were large. I couldn't help but feel how inferior this academy must have been compared to the one now lost in the back of my mind.

"Greetings, sir. I'm sorry but the academy is off limits, there's currently an undergoing investigation. Quite frankly I already busy trying to work out my own problems."

"Such as…" I implied.

"Such as finding a new academy master. We've got Darth Vargos, Darth Trais, Darth Ungar, Fellov Wet, Quarth Lingo, Tyrin Qote. Any idea?"

I thought for a moment and said the first name that came into mind.

"How about Darth Sion?"

"Why… that's not such a bad idea. His name isn't on my list, he would be quite the right man for the job. The Sith acolyte these days see the Dark Side as something they need to be to kill innocents and we can thank Wynn for that. This Sion fellow is bound to brutalize the place a bit. Was there anything I could help you with?"

"Yes, if this place is in lockdown I believe its safe to assume that the quartermaster won't be in."

"Yes, why, has he got something of yours?"

"Yes he does, and I want it back."

"I see. Well, he'll be in the cantina. If that's all I'll have to ask you kindly to move along."

"Thank you very much." I said as I wiped our meeting from his mind. The weak minded were always the easier ones. Did that make me weak minded?

The Cantina was no more than a diner. A diner was too pretty to be evil so I assumed it was called as such to reflect the corruption of the Sith. The Cantina seemed to be the only location in Dreshdae untouched by the massacre. The Czerka offices had been ransacked by thugs, the armory had been been robbed and there were posters everywhere requesting that a Twi'lek, Yuthura Ban, be found. The name was familiar, she was strong with the Dark Side and was second only to the old master of the Sith Academy, Uthar Wynn. Ban was not only a Sith but an escaped slave from the Hutts of Sleheyron. She was as deadly as she was beautiful.

She _was_ beautiful, now she's probably among the dead. Right about now I'd have said something amusing and funny but when thinking of physical attraction all I saw was my love. The woman I had betrayed had cursed me with guilt, and rightly so. There was a Quarren sitting up the back of the room, beside him a Human. The Human was Vargo, the very same Rick Vargo who I had given everything to.

"Quartermaster Vargo." I said, interrupting his conversation with the Quarren. He turned and went pale, shocked he flattened himself against the wall and the Quarren beside him fled.

"A…A- A- A- Atton, I thought you was dead?" He stuttered.

"What makes you say that Vargo? Have you sold her?"

"A- A- A-"

"Have… you… sold her?" I smiled, he couldn't possibly know if I was a Sith.

"No, Atton. You was my best customer, I'd wouldn't ever sell your gal. I'm just surprised to see youse is all."

"And why is that?" I said, taking the seat where the alien once sat.

"I heards that them Sith were killing off the remainder of you assassin buddies."

"Where'd ya here this, Rick?"

"I heards it from another Sith Lord. I heards that there was a massacre only half a day ago at that academy you was training at. All 'dem assassin buddies of yours is dead."

What? I felt no sorrow for the fallen, they deserved to be dead… but only if redemption wasn't possible. I too felt guilt stricken, I was the best yet I survived. But maybe that's why I survived, because I was the best.

"I gave her to you to look after, Rick. Now I want her back. I need you to help me out man."

"You need to pay the other five thousand credits first."

"Nice try buddy, I already paid. I know that, and you know that."

"Hmmm, maybe another two hundred would refresh my memory."

I slammed my fist onto the table.

"Take me to her!"

He jumped, everyone in the cantina did too.

"Okay, okay. Calm down Atton, my man. I will take you to her, there is no need to make a scene. Are you sure you wouldn't like to play a game of Pazaak first?"

"Look, Vargo. I love you, man, but no. I can't. Not yet. This is serious and I need something of mine that you have."

"Atton… I-"

"You know what I mean."

"I don't."

"Liar. Take me to the Violet Horizon."

It was an half an hour walk out of Dreshdae to the offsite Sith storage facility. The facility had remained untouched by the massacre, much like the cantina. It was a hangar made from red mudbrick, but the hangar doors were metal and lowered from inside the mudbrick to conceal the contents of the safe rooms. The Horizon was in one of them.

Good ol' Rick Vargo stopped outside one of the bigger locked caves and beside the door pressed down onto a keypad. The doors began to slowly raise and I excitedly grinned at my girl. The ship was a spectacular beauty. I loved it… but not in a creepy way… the same way you'd love a pet Gizka.

The ship began to move out of the vault, it sat on a large plasteel floor that moved out of the vault as the door opened. The ship rested upon it. I approached my girl and subtly removed a detonator from my ribbed jacket pocket. I dropped it on the ground under where the door moved up and down, it landed button up. I outstretched my arms to hug it, I could almost kiss her (but she hadn't been maintenance by Rick very often and was likely greasy).

"Rick, my man. Good on you."

"You don't have to wait. Once the plasteel ramp brings the ship into the centre you can just fly her out."

I approached the man, shook his hand, patted him on the back and rustled his thick black hair before heading up the landing ramp. The chair was comfy, and that's all I cared about. From the Bridge window I could see Vargo wave goodbye before turning away and heading back towards the path to Dreshdae.

The Horizon kicked into gear a loud whir emitting from the engine far behind me (that'd have to be fixed I remember telling myself). I went up, up, up. Below me the door to the Horizon's personal hangar went down, down, down.

Upon landing, (in my three minutes of consciousness), I had hooked up all my cargo to explosives. Most of it was Peragus mined fuel, _explosive_, but cheap. All my main armaments and missiles were thrown into the pile and I prepared myself for one hell of a shockwave. Below me, the door closed and pressed down on the detonator button.

Suddenly the ship shunted forwards a small amount and as I looked behind me I saw the Dreshdae docks burst into bright purple, blue and green flames. It was beautiful, and best of all most Sith probably died in that explosion. I had successfully damaged the Sith the Atton way and destroyed the Sleheyron's Bishop. Pure Pazaak!

The Bishop represented a part of my life I was glad to be rid of.

Though I wouldn't completely _be_ rid of it as I would come to find.

But who cared? I was Atton.

And I was back.


	19. Chapter 18- Alderaan

**Chapter 18-** **Alderaan**

I figured that it'd be best I returned home to my family. My family were not where I thought they would be and thus, I never found them again. People of my city recognized me however and so I proceeded to do the right thing. I attended banquets and royal balls but nothing felt right.

At first I believed it to be the Krayt Pasties or the Kinrath Soup. I was wrong. Then I believed it to be my past, my past as a killer of innocents and saviors. I was wrong again. But then I remembered, I left Alderaan to be a man of adventure. I wanted to be the life of the party, but I couldn't do that if I was stuck on fairy planet. Sure Alderaan was known for its parties, but they were always like some masquerade stuff, not the going out to the cantinas and pouring shots with you wingmen.

Upon the realization, I packed to leave Alderaan and planned to head for Hutt space. I recalled not being able to return to Nal Hutta unless I returned the Horizon. That wasn't gonna happen considering the only other ship I owned was recently blown up in a 'Galactic Incident' of Mass Proportion.

Over the course of the three days on Alderaan I had failed as a cook, a farmer and a smuggler. I loved smuggling and it wasn't like I wasn't any good. Alderaan smuggling was really damn boring. All I smuggled for food items from stores run by the government or a really nice soldier made me smuggle a bunch of flowers to his wife. It was boring, there were no customs, dogfights or spices.

On my fourth day I figured it time to call the quits and managed to get a job off-world. A Hutt on Sleheyron wanted me to smuggle over two hundred tons of spices off Corelia to Nar Shadaa. It would be Nar Shadaa where I would begin my massive smuggling empire working for the Exchange or the Black Suns or the Hutts or the Red Cult Crime Syndicate.

I had left my ship in the capital city and was currently riding a Bantha with two of my old childhood friends, well, one and his sister. And the sister was hot, I mean smoking. But… I promised Das I wouldn't. Das was a good friend, I'd grown up with him.

"You know I heard the craziest rumor in Sanjaaz this morning, I haven't been able to get it off my mind."

I turned to him, he was riding beside me. Das' sister Vivana was behind him.

"Yeah, what's up?"

"Allegedly that Darth Revan guy is still alive. Apparently the Republic only captured him and they re-serviced him under the call sign 'The Mysterious Stranger'."

No, that didn't sound right. Revan died, I had felt it in the Force.

"Are you and idiot, Das?" Provoked his sister as she passed on his left side from the rear. "He's dead. I heard that he was killed on Taris when the Sith bombarded it."

"Bantha Fodder! Where's your proof."

"Well 'The Mysterious Stranger' is a Tarissian. He fought and conquered as a duelist on that planet. It wasn't long after he reigned as champion that the place blew up!"

Unlikely. Darth Revan was the Force in the shape of a man. He couldn't be defeated like that.

"Why else do you think the Sith bombarded the planet? It was Sith controlled!" she continued.

But she did have a point. Malak was all for galactic conquering, why would he bomb his own world?

"Yeah," Das began to rebut. "but The Mysterious Stranger resurfaced on Manaan."

Wait… the drunk sod Deadeye Duncan. There was no way _he_ was Revan, was he? He couldn't be. He would've remembered me. And there was that mass murdering in the Sith Base by the Republic Agent, was that him too? Was the Korriban massacring him?

"The Sith have all buggered off, maybe they're hiding from him." Vivana suggested.

She was right, Atton had returned to the Leviathan after Manaan to discover that it had recently been attacked and Saul Karath was dead then too. It all made sense. But was Deadeye really Revan? No, he wasn't, he couldn't be. Where was Revan?

Immediately Atton snapped himself out of his contemplation. Thinking was unhealthy. Revan was dead and that was the last of it.


	20. Chapter 19- Nar Shadaa (again)

**Chapter 19-** **Nar Shadaa…again**

I had become quite the smuggler, Vogga the Hutt had given me quite a number of jobs to keep me busy. In my spare time (like at this moment) I sat down at a Pazaak table and played a few games at the Pazaak Den.I was a legend. After about four hours of relaxing and playing I was approached by a familiar face. A pretty thing. A Twi'lek.

She was the one I had played all those years ago, my future wife. I smiled and pretended I did not recognize her. Funny, she didn't recognize me. After spending a night with Atton Rand the ladies always remembered me. …did I spend a night with her though? I shot her an Atton Rand award winning smile and she grinned before taking a seat at the table for a game.

"Quick game's a good game." She said in her native tongue, one that wasn't Basic. Regardless, sooner or later I'd have to get used to her 'native tongue', get it? Native…tongue…? No? Tongue? Her tongue? No, alright, whatever.

"Don't worry babe, quick is the only way I know how."

…what?

What the hell are you doing man? Are you a moron? You are! What the hell!

I grinned awkwardly and she giggled, hopefully she was giggling at my grin not my terrible, terrible call. I hadn't thought before I spoke, a problem I often had.

After a few rounds she hadn't said anything and opened her mouth to make some pleasant conversation.

"So," she began "did you hear about the Republic?"

"No, what about the Republic." I replied.

"They announced that they _did_ actually capture the Revanarchist. He's redeemed now."

What, it was true.

"You don't say." I said hoping to sound unbelieving.

"They say the man united the Republic and single handedly took his former apprentice."

"Darth Malak? No, surely not."

Hopefully so, I thought to myself.

"Yeah, the Republic said that he took out some giant Space Anvil or Star Anvil or something and was awarded the Cross of Glory with his allies."

It must be true, you couldn't fake something like that. I looked back over my shoulder towards the door and the unmanned bar. There he was, there was Revan.

He couldn't be there.

A blinked twice and he was gone. I was having some nightmarish flashbacks. A voice echoed in my head and his image appeared again.

"Heard you're looking for employment…"

No, I couldn't handle it. The memories were flooding back. No.

"You know how hard it is to drink a drink with a mask on…"

"What do you think of the Revanarchists…"

"So kid, what's your name… what's your name… what's your name… WHAT'S YOUR NAME!"

The illusion turned and I saw his face, it was demonic. I snapped out of it and the cantina went quiet. In my vision stood a man followed by two Sith soldiers. He looked like a bounty hunter, or part of some gang. He wore a tight black uniform over his whole body and a mask with red goggles. The men looked around.

"Grak." he said softly. "Grak? Are you here? Grak! Where the hell are you! Show yourself!" He turned to an Aqualish merchant sitting on a Pazaak table, the merchant was shaking. "Ah, there you are."

The man turned to face him but then looked at me and stopped. He didn't say a word. Not for what seemed like a thousand years.

"Atton?" he asked. I sat still, confused. Why was it that whenever I sat in this room I would get abused by the Galaxy's scariest Sith?

He removed his goggles and his mask and threw them on the ground beside him. They were Sith Assassin uniforms, new. The man's face was burnt off on his left side. His right hand was cybernetics as was half of his left leg (made evident by the parts jutting out the sides through the uniform leg). The right side of his face held massive scarring. He had a familiar face, what was left of it. He was an old friend. He was Drayven Khar.

He stood and stared at me angrily for several minutes. The only sound that could be heard was the wheezing coming from a rage fueled Khar. Then a small crash was heard, I couldn't see what made the noise as I was too terrified to remove my gaze from Khar. Then the character passed him, scaling the wall quite obviously. It was the Aqualish, Grak, Khar's target. Drayven, not taking his eyes off me suddenly raised his left hand out to the side and twitched it. In the space of half a second Grak's neck snapped and he collapsed to the ground.

Still Khar glared at me.

This moment was the single most terrified I had ever been my whole entire life, even up to the point I am at now flying back to Korriban looking for some Master Lonna Vash with the new love of my life, Meetra Surik.

"You know how I got these scars? Or these burns? Do you see the burns, Rand? I mean, how could you not? …They're all over my damn face!"

"I have a feeling I know how you got them."

He chuckled.

"You know, you always make me laugh, Atton. Even when you're so damn evil you'd melt your best friend's face off you still have the ability to crack a joke." He stopped laughing. "I hate you!" he screamed in a violent outburst.

Khar had changed. He was full of the Dark Side, maybe as much as I had.

"You know what's really funny, Rand? You used to be the best in the business. You used to be the darkest man this side of Malachor. Now I'm the best, now I am a million times as cruel as you ever were!"

He laughed manically again.

"I was in the room when the explosion went off. I was in the room when you sacrificed me! I had to use what little energy I had left in a millisecond to save myself from becoming completely charred. The rest of the brothers are dead, you know that? Yeah, you killed all of them. Yeah, you killed half and the Sith killed the rest. I crawled out of the academy a second before they began decimating the assassins. Decimation, can you believe that? But it kind of defeats the purpose if the survivors were taken to the courtyard and shot up anyway. I survived and when Sion got his hands on me… well, let's just say they don't call him the Lord of Pain for nothing. He bled me dry and I had to drink was left of my life juices off the floor of the Ziost infirmary. I was pieced together again. They kept me after I threatened to reveal that I knew what they had done to the assassins. They're training more, you see. They've decided that the assassins aren't to be trained to use the Force or they'll end up like you. _You_. You betrayed me, your best friend. You gave the Sith the opportunity to liquidate us, in the confusion of the explosion they seized the opportunity."

He turned to the people in the den.

"You know who this man is? This man is Jaq, he is Jaq the Jedi Hunter! He hunted the Jedi to extinction for a time and killed a few women and children just for the laughs. He's nothing more than a petty and broken man. Spread the word, this man is a traitor to all living things! Everyone warn the world of Jaq!"

He laughed crazily once more. It was similar to the way the bully, Garm, had done back in the academy. He called me Jaq, that was what Garm used to call me. It seemed only fitting he shared Garm's fate.

I pulled out Thalia's lightsaber and in anger lunged at Khar. Immediately he did the same and pulled out his double-bladed lightsaber. We clashed. I was fueled with anger, so fueled I could not tell if I was still Atton or if I had become Atton once more. I was angry and confused. Confused, the mind wipe had left me a little unsure of my actions and what I had done to my old friend.

We clashed. I swung the lightsaber into an uppercut and he proceeded to block it before swinging down from his top right to bottom left as if to cut my chest open. Thalia's gold crystalled lightsaber was just the right reminder I needed to stay mad at myself and at this abomination of the dark side that stood before me. We battled it out by the door and this forced everyone to remain inside.

I continued to execute a flurry of strikes at him and around him to test his defence. He had grown more skilled since training and blocked all my attacks and eventually threw me back. I landed on my feet and slashed the lightsaber at the window towards Khar. Shards of glass blew into his face and the wind stunned him. I drew Thalia's lightsaber back and launched a heavy attack onto his lightsaber which protected his face from strikes. It dropped him back closer towards the door.

From beside him three Twi'lek male refugees stood and retreated from their spots. There were two blue skinned Twi'lek's and an orange.

Still Khar and I clashed swords and for a time it seemed no one would fall. When we clashed at one point he blocked and positioned himself so that my weapon slid down onto one of the three Twi'leks. A blue alien's head was sliced in to two horizontally cut pieces. It was my fault. I had done this.

"See, the man is a murderer!" shouted Khar to the other two Twi'leks who eventually ran off in fear. Before they exited they took one more look at me before fleeing.

I jumped back and with his left hand Khar picked up a chair and threw it at me. I raised my hand to grab hold of it with the Force but failed. The Force was no longer with me and the chair threw me to the ground.

I rolled it off me as he threw another at me. I swung the lightsaber upwards and sliced the stool in two. I got onto my feet as he threw another and I sliced that one in two the same way. I began to run towards him and sliced a fourth chair in half that had been flung towards me. I jumped and brought my laser onto him. In a quick moment he spun around, spinning his two ended lightsaber before stopping as I landed.

Was I dead? Did he stab me? Did I die?

I looked down, the lightsaber I had taken from Thalia was in two pieces. I looked up and Khar laughed, he had sensed my story and where I had retrieved this pieces of sentimentality. I stepped back, dropping the lightsaber remains. I unsheathed my dual blasters and fired on him. He blacked the first few but I overpowered him. He was not stronger than me. He was no stronger than me at all.

Two blasts from my pistols ended his life. One slipped past his lightsaber and hit him in the chest, knocking him back and stunning him. The next I fired into his throat in the split second he had stopped deflecting my bolts.

I had done it. I was no longer a Jedi. I had lost my power of the Force and Thalia's lightsaber.

The Sith soldiers were no where to be seen.

I wiped the blood from my mouth using my fist and pocketed the two pieces of her lightsaber. Not taking my eye of the dead body in front of me I returned to my table of Pazaak. I figured it would've been really badass to sit and keep playing but I was too mad. I needed to cool off. So I took one of my pazaak cards and placed it underneath Khar's mask. I placed the mask and goggles back over his head and rolled him out the window. He fell a thousand levels down, a funeral he deserved. I watched as I lost sight of him.

I faced the Twi'lek.

"You can have the rest of my deck. I don't want it."

I stepped towards the door and stopped. I thought for a moment. I stepped back towards the Twi'lek and faced her again.

"Just for the record. It would've never worked out, I just have to focus on my career right now."


	21. Chapter 20- Peragus II

**Chapter 20- Peragus II**

It had been four to five years since I had left my life behind. I had killed Khar. For a while I considered going after Revan but I figured that it'd be pointless. My rumors had arisen over the years that he had gone into the unknown regions of the Galaxy. He wouldn't remember me, he had too many people in his life now. He wouldn't recognize me, I've probably changed. Oh yeah, and there was something about he being an amnesiac. I had also considered growing a beard in these past years. That's what those deserter guys always did in those holovids, they grew beards to hide themselves from their past.

Truth be told, in the situation I was in I probably could have shaved my beard clean off if I had one. I was in a force cage, you see. I had been paid off to go to the Peragus system and steal some fuel transferal codes from the main mining asteroid station. I had been told it had been hollowed out to be mined, a space station had been built within.

Peragus II was a planet that was heavily mined for its fuels. Its fuels were cheap and there was much of it, but it was heavily flammable. It was known that ships that used Peragus fuel always went on bumpy rides. Anyway, eventually something went wrong and Peragus II exploded. The entire planet was blasted out to a different system, fragments of the planet broke off and formed the Peragus Asteroid field. The planet is now illegal to mine, it's too dangerous. Instead the asteroids are being mined, but if anyone was to destroy one (woops) the whole asteroid field would explode, the planet with it.

So I had planet for this to be a stealth ops. I'd sneak in and steal the codes before getting back out. If I was caught I'd pose as a traveler looking for a job or looking for some fuel o buy. The miners didn't buy it when they did catch me and they resorted to locking me up in a force cage. So I failed. After two days they informed me that my ship was stolen from the hangar. _My_ ship! The Violet Horizon had been taken from me. They fed me three times a day until the explosion went off.

This massive explosion had gone off below in the mining tunnels and suddenly all hell broke loose upstairs. I didn't know what was going on and assumed it was a drill. There was no one in the prison room with me so I couldn't confirm with anyone else. I heard the clatter of droids outside the room. It was odd to hear droids move, usually droids didn't come up unless there was maintenance issues and there were so many droids. The miners had missed giving me a meal.

It was another three days before I saw another person on the station. They hadn't fed me for three days and I had to resort to entertaining myself by spitting onto the force cage and watching the spit fizzle up when it came into contact with the electricity. It was amusing for the first few hours so I had to resort to training to sleep upright. The miners were making me sleep in the force cage, whenever I tipped when I was asleep I'd hit the wall and get shocked. I hadn't slept in so, so long.

I just wanted to vomit. My stomach was trying to kill me. I couldn't throw up though, I didn't want spew on my ribbed jacket. My legs were tired and I just wanted to sit down… but the cage burned. I could've killed for a game of Pazaak. Confined to such a small space ruined the point of counting cards as opposed to doing it in a ship. I was soooo bored.

Then the door opened.

A brunette woman walked in wearing nothing but her underwear.

It's a dream.

It has to be a dream.

I stared at her for a moment. She was no dream.

She was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. I was in love. Undoubtedly. This was not just passion or desire, but love. Damn.

Say something smart. No, say something funny.

'Are you an angel?' no, that would be a terrible pickup line. Okay, how about…

"Nice outfit. What, you miners change your regulation uniform while I've been here?"

And they were the first words I ever said to her. They were the first words I ever said to Meetra.


	22. Epilogue- Goodbye Kiss

**Epilogue- Goodbye Kiss**

We waited in the docks at Telos IV's Citadel Station. The Ebon Hawk was behind Mical and I as we leaned against the nearby wall. Mical was a good kid, he was all mushy flowers and light side of the Force and stuff – but he could bake a mean pie.

"So," he began, trying to break the tension. "We did it. We ended the Sith."

"Sure did. We went to Malachor and killed Kreia."

"Well, we tried but Meetra did it."

"Yeah, we tried."

"Actually… _we_ tried, you ran off."

"Ran off?" I said, insulted. "She was kicking your butts! How's your neck, I saw her choke you with ease."

"Whatever, Atton."

Closer to the entrance into the station I saw Visas talking with Mandalore. They were both brutal warriors and they hated each other. But it was good to see them getting along so well, it was good to see the Disciple and I getting on so well.

Meetra headed down the landing ramp of the Ebon Hawk. She was beautiful. She had given us so much, she had taught us to use the Force and how to be Jedi (though she was no longer one herself). She allowed us to be the tools to rebuild the Republic after it had fallen at the hands of the Sith. But most of all, she gave me redemption.

I realised that both Mical and I were staring at her beauty. She was smiling at us.

"Dude, be cool." I said hitting his chest with the back of my hand to wake him up.

She came closer, she walked like an angel.

She came close to me and put her hand behind my head. She kissed me on the lips. She kissed me long and beautifully. It was a moment I wished never ended. When she stepped back she stared into my eyes.

"Thank you, Atton." She spoke.

"N…N… N- No- No problem."

She stepped back, Mical's jaw had dropped and his eyes were wide opened in shock.

"…and goodbye." She finished.

"W- wait, what? Where are you going?"

She wouldn't leave me. Not after that kiss, not after all that we've been through.

"I'm leaving into the unknown. I'm going to help T3 finish his mission."

"T3's mission? T3 doesn't have a mission. The only mission was this mission. It's done!"

"I'm going after Revan. And I can't ask you to come with me. Revan said that he couldn't take anyone he loved with him. He failed, so now I'm coming to save him."

"If he failed, then why are you going after him? He loved you too, Meetra. Don't forget that."

"Atton's right." Mical butted in. "Its suicide, and you have no idea what you're getting into."

"Yeah, take a break." I continued. "We just got back from killing the Queen of evilness and manipulation herself, chill. She betrayed us and we need time to cool off."

"Atton, you said it yourself. All that talk of hatred, manipulation, and standing on your own two feet – you don't get any more Sith than that. Remember?"

"Yeah, but after all we've been through together. I figured she'd still have had some respect for us. She allied with the guy who cut her off from the Force and chopped off her hand!"

"She was the Lord of Betrayal. She was playing us from the beginning. We all suspected it from the start. It was all just another lesson, and in the end she helped you by letting me teach you. You're going to rebuild the Order, it's your destiny. You and the other Lost Jedi are the last of the Jedi Order. She hated the Force but knew that she had to give in to it to allow all of this."

"No, she did not want us to rebuild. She was a Darth, Darth Traya. She wanted to kill you and blind the Galaxy of the Force."

"Atton, listen-"

"No you listen! I love you, Meetra. And I'm not letting you go. You remember what happened to the last girl I loved and I can't allow that to happen again. I won't be able to survive without you."

She stopped and spoke peacefully.

"Atton, I have no choice. It is my destiny. I love you. And I will see you again soon."

She walked away and kissed Mical on the cheek, it was the least she owed him. She headed towards Visas and Canderous to say goodbye to them next. Why was she going to do this?

Mical watched her walk away before turning and facing me again.

I couldn't help but gloat.

"I won! Yes, I got the girl! Suck it, loser."

"Yeah, yeah. Calm down Atton, you fool. Listen, I figured we need to get to Dantooine. So could you give me a lift?"

"Sure, but why? Why not settle down on the beaches of Lehon or the oceans of Manaan? Why do we have to start rebuilding now? The others aren't."

"Precisely. Brianna and Mira are staying at Citadel Station to rebuild, and Brianna's going to go down to the polar regions later. Visas is about to leave and bring Bao-Due and see if he needs help. Canderous is going to return to Dxun."

"Exactly, Canderous is relaxing."

"Canderous isn't a Jedi, he's going back to his people and ruling them as Mandalore as he did before."

We began walking towards the spaceport.

"Come on, old buddy." I began. "You know, despite our differences. I think you're my best friend."

"Me too, Atton. Me… too…"

**_…to continue the saga of the Lost Jedi, check out for the next in the series '3C-FD: The Darth's Droid'…_**


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